Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated that an outright ban on disposable barbecues could be introduced in UK shops from summer 2027, as he urged retailers nationwide to withdraw them from sale during the current heatwave. Speaking after chairing a Cobra emergency meeting, Burnham warned that extreme heat conditions could persist for weeks and that a temporary ban in summer months might be justified in the long term.
Retailers urged to stop sales immediately
Burnham called on “all retailers big and small” to pull disposable barbecues from shelves, following voluntary guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). Most major UK supermarkets have already suspended sales in recent weeks. The move comes as wildfires linked to disposable barbecues have increased across England and Wales, with Birmingham and the West Midlands seeing more callouts to blazes at nature reserves, beauty spots, agricultural land, and near railway lines.
“The big risk in terms of risk to the wider regions across the country is the risk of wildfires,” Burnham said. “What we are seeing is multiple serious incidents across the country. Fire services, by and large, are supporting each other through mutual aid to deal with those incidents but we are keeping a very close watching brief on them.”
Wildfire numbers match last year's record
Data shared by the NFCC shows that England and Wales have already recorded 1,017 wildfires this year, matching the record-breaking total for the whole of 2025. Burnham noted a “significant number of excess deaths from heat this summer already” and urged the public to check on elderly friends and relatives.
Asked about North Sea fossil fuel drilling, Burnham said the immediate focus must be on controlling current incidents. “The bigger questions obviously will come at the right moment in time,” he added. “But I have said that we have had it all but confirmed that this is the hottest summer on record, and as we go through it, we need to realise that these conditions could be with us for some weeks yet.”
Fire chiefs warn of 'tinderbox' conditions
NFCC chairman Phil Garrigan warned that hot, dry weather is turning parts of the UK into “tinderbox landscapes”, allowing fires to spread faster and burn longer. Nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought, with temperatures expected to reach 38C in some areas on Thursday.
Baroness Brown, who chairs the Climate Change Committee’s adaptation work, told PA: “We need to remember that this is as good as it gets. It gets worse from here. Until we get to net zero, things go on getting worse.” She urged the Government to help the UK adapt, such as installing air conditioning in hospitals, schools, and for vulnerable families.
Southern Water has applied for a rare drought order to ban non-essential water use, warning that 165,000 people in the Southampton West supply area could face restrictions. Environment Secretary Angela Eagle will decide on the application, which would be the first such ban since May 2006.
