UK govt temporarily bans sale of disposable barbecues amid rising wildfire risk

UK
tempo a ily
ba s
sales
of
disposable
BBQs.

The
sale
of
disposable
ba becues
has
bee
tempo a ily
ba ed
ac oss
G eat
B itai
as
hot,
d y
co ditio s
fuel
wildfi es
a d
autho ities
wa
they
pose
a
sig ifica t
isk
to
the
public.Gove me t
guida ce
says
the
ba becues
ca ot
cu e tly
be
co side ed
safe
a d
must
ot
be
sold
i
shops
o
o li e
while
the
est ictio s
emai
i
place.The
Depa tme t
fo
Busi ess,
I ovatio ,
Scie ce
a d
T ade
said
disposable
ba becues
had
bee
li ked
to
seve al
se ious
wildfi es
ac oss
the
cou t y
this
summe .The
est ictio
follows
a
eme ge cy
Cob a
meeti g
ea lie
this
week,
whe e
mi iste s
discussed
measu es
to
espo d
to
eco d
tempe atu es
a d
the
g owi g
wildfi e
isk.

Why
have
disposable
ba becues
bee
ba ed?

The
gove me t
said
the
combi atio
of
d y
g ou d,
high
tempe atu es
a d
o goi g
d ought
co ditio s
mea s
eve
a
small
fi e
ca
sp ead
quickly.Disposable
ba becues
a e
pa ticula ly
difficult
to
exti guish
safely
a d
ca
emai
hot
afte
use,
c eati g
a
isk
of
g ass
a d
vegetatio
catchi g
fi e.The
gove me t
said
etaile s
will
eceive
guida ce
o
the
tempo a y
est ictio ,
which
will
be
kept
u de
eview.

U de
that
f amewo k,
etaile s
we e
advised
to
suspe d
sales
whe
a
ext eme
heat
eve t
was
expected
o
whe
local
autho ities
made
a
easo able,
evide ce-based
equest.

UK
PM
desc ibed
as
a
‘ti de box’

P ime
Mi iste
A dy
Bu ham
wa ed
people
agai st
lighti g
fi es
outdoo s
as
c ews
co ti ue
to
tackle
blazes
ac oss
E gla d
a d
Wales.“B itai
is
a
ti de box
ight
ow,”
Bu ham
told
BBC
Radio
5
Live.He
said
the e
we e
37
fi es
ac oss
E gla d
a d
Wales,
i cludi g
fou
classified
as
majo
i cide ts.“Setti g
a
fi e
i
a y
outdoo
setti g
of
a y
ki d
is
a
isk
to
othe
people’s
homes,
it’s
a
isk
to
othe
people’s
lives,
do ‘t
do
it,
please
do ‘t
do
it,”
he
said.Bu ham
also
said
some
of
the
fi es
cu e tly
bu i g
ac oss
the
cou t y
may
have
bee
sta ted
by
disposable
ba becues.

Fi es
cause
doze s
of
casualties

The
wa i g
comes
afte
pa ts
of
the
UK
eco ded
thei
hottest
day
of
the
yea
o
Thu sday,
with
wildfi es
sp eadi g
th ough
d y
g ass
a d
eachi g
eside tial
a eas.I
the
West
Midla ds,
eside ts
we e
fo ced
to
leave
thei
homes
as
seve al
fi es
sp ead
ac oss
the
egio .The
West
Midla ds
Ambula ce
Se vice
said
it
t eated
54
people
ac oss
eight
fi es,
with
19
take
to
hospital.

Gove me t
co side s
fi efighti g
ai c aft

Bu ham
said
the
gove me t
was
co side i g
b i gi g
i
specialist
fi efighti g
ai c aft,
simila
to
those
used
i
pa ts
of
Eu ope
a d
the
US,
to
help
tackle
la ge
wildfi es.He
also
said
eme ge cy
fi a cial
suppo t
was
bei g
co side ed
fo
fi e
se vices
due
to
i c eased
dema d.The
p ime
mi iste
said
the
cou t y’s
fi e
a d
escue
se vices
we e
ot
sufficie tly
equipped
fo
the
scale
of
wildfi e
i cide ts
ow
bei g
see .“We
do ‘t
have
the
capability
i
the
way
that
we
should
have
to
fight
these
fi es,”
Bu ham
said.He
also
li ked
the
g owi g
wildfi e
isk
to
cha gi g
climate
co ditio s
a d
called
fo
a
t a sitio
towa ds
clea e
e e gy.

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