UK Leader May Ban Disposable Barbecues After Wildfires Spread Across Country

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the UK government will look at banning disposable barbecues in public spaces. Wildfires have been burning across the country, and many of them have been linked to these single-use grills. Campaigners say a ban could help protect people and wildlife, but some feel the government needs to do even more to fight the problem.

Disposable barbecues are small, cheap grills that people carry to parks, beaches, and other outdoor areas. They are very hard to get rid of safely because they stay extremely hot — sometimes for hours — after you are done cooking. When people can't take them home, they often leave them on the ground or throw them into bins, where they can keep smoldering and start fires.

Burying a disposable barbecue doesn't make it safe, either. The charcoal inside can reach 450 degrees Celsius and can keep burning underground long after the meal is over. On beaches, buried metal grills can hurt people walking in bare feet, and in farm fields, animals can be injured by stepping on them.

One major fire happened in July at Cannock Chase, a protected area of land in Staffordshire, England. Firefighters arrived to find a blaze the size of a football field burning in the summer heat. The fire, caused by a disposable barbecue, threatened rare wildlife like adders, toads, and ground-nesting nightjars. Fires in areas like this can destroy nests and habitats, and it can take many years for nature to recover.

Disposable barbecues have been blamed for several other serious fires in recent years. In July 2026, a large woodland fire in Macclesfield, Cheshire, needed dozens of firefighters to bring it under control. That same month, three grass fires broke out in one day near London, burning six hectares of heathland close to homes in Feltham. In May 2025, a fire in the Trossachs, Scotland, burned through two hectares at Glen Finglas — and a barbecue with a burger still on it was found nearby.

Government research found that more than 1,600 fires in England between 2020 and 2024 were started by barbecues. The National Farmers' Union and the London Fire Brigade have both called for a ban on disposable barbecues. Despite this, some government ministers have been against a full ban, saying councils already have the power to restrict them in high-risk areas and that safety rules are already in place.

Labour MP Jon Pearce, who represents High Peak in Derbyshire, is working on a law that would place a partial ban on the devices. He believes portable barbecues — the kind people take home with them — should still be allowed. He pointed out that disposable barbecues are actually very hard to throw away safely, which makes their name a bit ironic. "The irony of 'disposable barbecues' is that they are actually very difficult to dispose of," he said.

Pearce also warned that action is needed before next summer arrives. "Last year was the worst on record for wildfires. This year will surpass it," he said. He believes the UK's climate has changed and that new laws are needed to help people adapt. Banning disposable barbecues in public places is one step he thinks must happen soon.

Environmental groups agree a ban is a good start, but say it is not enough on its own. Greenpeace campaigner Angharad Hopkinson said the government also needs to tackle the climate crisis, which is driving the extreme heat that makes wildfires spread so fast. She said Burnham must create a real plan to end the UK's use of fossil fuels, which are the main cause of climate change. Without that, she argued, the problem will only keep getting worse.