The UK government has temporarily banned the sale of disposable BBQs due to concerns they pose a significant risk to the public as drought and heatwave conditions persist. A total of 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, matching last year's record. Military personnel, including Gurkha logistics teams, have been deployed to assist emergency teams battling wildfires across the country. The ban applies to England, Scotland, and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, as part of efforts to mitigate the risk of wildfires spreading.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- Published
Disposable barbecues have been temporarily banned from sale over fears they pose a "significant risk to the public" as drought and heatwave conditions continue to grip the UK.
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conditions → publish → UK
They have been the cause of "a number of serious wildfires across the country over the summer months", the government said.
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government → say → months
A potential ban was first discussed at an emergency Cobra meeting in response to record temperatures earlier this week.
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ban → discuss → temperatures
The public have been urged not to light an open fires and to dispose of cigarettes carefully.
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public → urge → cigarettes
Meanwhile Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the country is like "a tinderbox", as 200 personnel have now been deployed to help emergency teams tackling wildfires around the country.
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personnel → say → country
As part of the military deployment, Gurkha logistics teams equipped with water tankers and military engineers are now assisting fire services in South Wales.
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teams → equip → Wales
Andy Burnham has promised more military personnel will be deployed elsewhere if needed.
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personnel → promise → ?
Crews in England and Wales tackled multiple blazes on Friday and an emergency alert was sent to millions of phones.
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alert → tackle → phones
A total of 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), which matches last year's record.
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which → record → record
As well as devastating blazes in the West Midlands which saw dozens of homes destroyed, fire crews have been in action across the two countries.
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crews → see → countries
In Wales, a major incident was declared near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, after dozens of homes were evacuated and roads closed.
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roads → declare → homes
In Hampshire, firefighters have spent a sixth day tackling a wildfire in the New Forest, which broke out on Sunday.
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which → spend → Sunday
Sixteen emergencies were tackled by Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath in the city.
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emergencies → tackle → city
On Friday evening, an emergency alert was sent to mobile phones warning of a "very high risk of wildfires nationally" across England and Wales.
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alert → send → England
The message asked residents, landowners and visitors to not undertake any activity that could cause a fire "including disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators of fireworks".
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that → ask → fireworks
It was the most extensive use of the system to date, according to the government.
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It → accord → government
Disposable barbecues "cannot be considered a safe product" in the current conditions and they "must not be made available for sale either in store or online at the current time" in Great Britain, according to the advice published by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST).,
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they → consider → Business
The ban applies to England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland.
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ban → apply → England
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the measures were "common-sense steps to protect lives and the environment.
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measures → say → lives
"
All retailers will be receiving guidance about the change, which will be kept under review, Burnham told the BBC.
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Burnham → receive → BBC
He also said some of the wildfires burning across the country will have been started by disposable barbecues.
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some → say → barbecues
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Matt Chorley, the prime minister said: "We've got 37 fires across England and Wales right now, four of them are major incidents."
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four → speak → them
He added: "We're going into a difficult weekend, please just think about the situation that we're in.
"
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we → add → that
Setting a fire in any outdoor setting of any kind is a risk to other people's homes, it's a risk to other people's lives, don't do it, please don't do it."
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it → set → it
Many large retailers and supermarkets had already voluntarily stopped selling the devices under a framework agreed in 2023, external between fire chiefs and the British Retail Consortium.
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retailers → stop → chiefs
It said that retailers should suspend sales once an extreme heat event has been declared as imminent, or in response to "reasonable, evidence based" requests from local councils.
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event → say → councils
David Skaith, the elected Labour mayor for York and North Yorkshire who has been campaigning for a ban on single-use grills, urged the prime minister to make it permanent.
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it → elect → minister
He told the BBC: "We know the risks that disposable barbecues have been causing and to have a ban on them is much-needed, much-called-for and I hope it becomes long-term."
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it → tell → them
Burnham also said he planned to commission firefighting planes, like those used in Europe and the US, to combat the spread of wildfires.
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he → say → wildfires
He said plans were being drawn up for emergency financial support for fire services battling the spread of wildfires.
"
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plans → say → wildfires
We have a fire and rescue service across the country that isn't properly set up to deal with these incidents," Burnham said.
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Burnham → have → incidents
"We don't have the capability in the way that we should have to fight these fires.
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we → have → fires
"There's thousands of firefighters out there today doing back-breaking work, in full kit, in the most difficult conditions", he added.
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he → be → conditions
He said the UK must face up to the "changing climate" and transition to "more clean energy".
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UK → say → energy
His comments came ahead of the appointment of Baroness Blake of Leeds as fire minister.
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comments → come → minister
Friends of the Earth urged the prime minister to tackle the "root cause" of the "climate emergency" that is fuelling this summer's extreme weather events.
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that → urge → events
"Without urgent action to curb the carbon emissions driving this crisis, future heatwaves, droughts and wildfires will only get worse and the ability for future generations to adapt will disappear" the environmental group warned.
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group → curb → crisis
Burnham was speaking during a visit to Stourbridge to see the impact of a devastating blaze.
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Burnham → speak → blaze
As the UK experienced its hottest day of the year on Thursday, residents fled their homes when fires spread through dry grass and tore through houses.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said it treated 54 casualties at eight different fires across the region.
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it → experience → region
Nineteen people were taken to hospital for treatment.
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people → take → treatment
…and 3 more, not listed.
