The government has told retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues immediately, warning that the products pose what it called
"a significant risk to the public"during the current drought and heatwave. The instruction, published in official advice online, applies while extreme dry conditions continue across parts of the country.
Housing Secretary Andy Burnham said ministers wanted shops to stop stocking the items while the danger persists. According to a national broadcaster's report, he told retailers to
"do not put disposable barbecues on sale at this moment in time."
Why has the government stepped in now?
Officials say the suspension should apply whenever an extreme heat event is imminent, or when a local council makes a "reasonable, evidence based" request, according to the same report. Burnham said single-use grills had been linked to
"a number of recent blazes"and repeated that shoppers should avoid using them for now.
The move follows sustained pressure from landowners. Per a separate report cited by coverage of the issue, farmers and landowners in England and Wales had already been pushing for a temporary ban because of the wildfire threat posed by the devices, even though the government had previously said it had "no plans" for a blanket prohibition and pointed out that councils already hold powers to restrict barbecue use in high-risk areas.
How does this connect to the wider drought and wildfire crisis?
The ban builds on weeks of escalating concern. Ministers had already been weighing such a step, as reported in our earlier coverage of Burnham's consideration of a disposable BBQ ban, which noted that every major supermarket chain had already withdrawn the products from sale amid a record surge in wildfires driven by drought and extreme heat. That followed warnings, detailed in our report on the exceptional wildfire risk facing parts of the UK, that sustained high temperatures and dry ground were sharply raising the danger of fires breaking out.
What happens next?
Retailers have been told to follow the suspension "at this moment in time," but no fixed date has been set for when normal sales might resume, according to the broadcaster's report. The British Retail Consortium's guidance to members remains voluntary, asking shops to pause sales during extreme heat events or at the request of local authorities rather than under a legally binding nationwide ban, according to a parliamentary written question on the matter. This story was still developing at the time of publication, with further details expected as the government's advice is updated.
Key Facts
- The government has asked retailers to immediately stop selling disposable barbecues.
- Officials say the products pose a "significant risk to the public" during the current drought and heatwave.
- Andy Burnham linked single-use grills to a number of recent wildfires.
- The pause applies during imminent extreme heat events or at a council's evidence-based request, with no end date yet confirmed.
- Farmers and landowners had already called for such a ban before this announcement.
