Calls to ban disposable barbecues in England and Wales over wildfire risk

Lib Dems and many Labour MPs join farmers, landowners and firefighters in urging temporary prohibition

Farmers and landowners are calling for a temporary ban on disposable barbecues in England and Wales, as they warn of the risk of igniting wildfires.

The call, which has also been made by firefighters and is backed by the Liberal Democrats and many Labour MPs, comes as much of England faces further hot dry weather, despite rain in some areas.

The deputy president of the National Farmers Union, Paul Tompkins, said wildfires were an urgent concern as farmers counted the cost of lost or poor harvests caused by record heatwaves supercharged by the climate crisis over the last three months and the worst drought in many areas since 1976. Dry conditions have meant vegetation is much more prone to ignition through carelessness or deliberate fire-starting.

Tompkins said: “A stray match or single spark, and months of hard work can be wiped out in just minutes; crops destroyed and harvest ruined, vital machinery and infrastructure damaged and livestock put at serious risk.

“Beyond the immediate losses, there could be long-term consequences for soil health, grassland productivity and confidence of farm businesses already facing significant pressures .”

He called for retailers to remove disposable barbecues from sale, and for local authorities to issue public space protection orders prohibiting the lighting of barbecues, campfires and camping stoves.

The MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, Jon Pearce, wrote to retailers this week, asking them to stop selling disposable barbecues. Most big supermarkets have already halted sales and some have not sold them for years.

But they are still widely available in smaller shops, from some hardware and DIY stores and online.

Wildfires have affected every region of the UK this year, with more than 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) estimated to have burned. There have been fires in the Rhondda Valley in Wales this week and the Cairngorms in Scotland last week, while a blaze in Suffolk came within a few miles of the Sizewell B nuclear plant . Fires have been going on for months. Blazes hit the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland , areas near Aberdeen, and the Brecon Beacons national park in Wales.

Tompkins also called for more grazing in moorland areas to reduce vegetation, but conservationists are wary of overgrazing in delicate habitats.

Some observers have blamed rewilding for the increasing wildfire risk , a claim rebuffed by experts who said rewilding land could vastly reduce risky conditions . The financier and conservationist Ben Goldsmith pointed to the reintroduction of beavers in some rivers , which has increased the surrounding land’s ability to store water and helped to avoid some of the worst impacts of the drought.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents landowners, also called for a ban on disposable barbecues, but at the same time a lifting of the ban on controlled burning. It is banned in England to protect wildlife and habitats, and to reduce carbon emissions.

The CLA’s president, Gavin Lane, said: “Controlled burning is one of several proven ways to reduce the danger. Done properly, it clears the vegetation that feeds a wildfire and slows its spread. Natural England must lift the ban on controlled burning and look seriously at how it could prevent further loss.”

Rain fell in the north of England and Scotland on Tuesday, while thundery showers in Northern Ireland and scattered showers in Wales brought some relief. South-east England was mainly dry despite overcast skies.

A government spokesperson said: “There are no plans to introduce a blanket ban on disposable barbecues.

“We take the risk of fires very seriously, which is why we’ve taken action to make disposable barbecues safer to use, including making sure they follow strict product safety rules and giving councils the power to ban them in high-risk areas.”