A fire chief has called for a “total ban” on disposable barbecues as the UK braces for a potential second summer heatwave. The warning follows London Fire Brigade's experiences during its “busiest week” in history last week.
London’s Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said “urgent action” was needed to introduce a national ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, which he warned could cause “untold damage”. Firefighters attended more than 1,000 fires in the week from July 18 as temperatures soared, taking more than twice as many calls as usual and tackling an unprecedented number of large grassland fires.
During that period the brigade received 8,302 calls, while on average it usually takes around 450 calls a day. Mr Roe said people behaved “carelessly” and “recklessly” despite warnings about grass fires.
