Calls are growing for a temporary ban on disposable barbecues in the England and Wales, as parts of the United Kingdom continue to suffer from long-term droughts and elevated wildfire risk.
Farmers, landowners, firefighters, and cross-party lawmakers are supporting moves towards a ban on sales of disposable barbecue equipment as a way to reduce the chances of wildfires being ignited by sparks, discarded charcoal, and matches.
🔥 Please don't bring BBQs into our parks!
— Birmingham City Council (@BhamCityCouncil) August 2, 2026
Disposable and portable BBQs can:
❌ Cause grass fires
❌ Damage parkland and wildlife habitats
❌ Leave dangerous hot surfaces behind
A single spark can spread quickly during hot, dry weather.
Help us protect Birmingham's green… pic.twitter.com/c593V6Xvlq
The landowners’ Country Land and Business Association (CLA), is backing a barbecue ban but wants to reintroduce “controlled burning” which it says would help to manage the vegetation that can feed fires but has been prohibited in England under wildlife and carbon emissions laws.
National Farmers Union deputy chief, Paul Tompkins, has pointed to the additional risk that unintentional fires pose to harvests and farmers’ livelihoods, coming on top of poor yields, saying: “A stray match or single spark, and months of hard work can be wiped out in just minutes; crops destroyed and harvest ruined, vital machinery and infrastructure damaged and livestock put at serious risk.”
56% of Britons would support a ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, amid wildfires across the UK triggering renewed calls for supermarkets to stop selling them during summer months
— YouGov (@YouGov) August 4, 2026
Support: 56%
Oppose: 25% pic.twitter.com/tKrkoMJLOb
Tompkins also highlighted the potential lasting impact of wildfires for the sector: “Beyond the immediate losses, there could be long-term consequences for soil health, grassland productivity and confidence of farm businesses already facing significant pressures,” he said.
He is urging shops to stop sales of disposable barbecues, and, going further, wants local authorities to head off public demand by bringing in rules against lighting barbecues, campfires, and camping stoves. The Liberal Democrat party and some Labour MPs are supporting that campaign, alongside a range of big retailers who have already ceased selling such items in line with guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).
Asda has paused disposable barbecue sales nationwide, Co-op and Morrison’s have introduced temporary bans, Sainsbury’s has pulled all single-use barbecues, and Tesco has also stopped sales. Meanwhile, retailers such as Aldi, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, and Waitrose already prohibit such products.
The country’s biggest retailers are being urged to stop selling disposable barbecues for the rest of the summer.
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) August 3, 2026
Labour MP Jon Pearce, who has seen a wildfire in his High Peak constituency on Tintwistle Moor, told #BBCBreakfast wants a full ban in public areas.… pic.twitter.com/vfHNXqgsP0
Some smaller retailers, DIY stores, and online sellers, however, are still offering them for purchase.
From Welsh valleys and national parks to Scottish and Northern Irish mountains and coastal Suffolk, where all eyes were on a blaze near Sizewell B nuclear facility, wildfires have occurred throughout the UK in 2026, with 393 responses from English and Welsh fire crews in July alone.
Aerial view of a wildfire that broke out in Suffolk, UK https://t.co/zkxDStezCg
— CGTN Europe (@CGTNEurope) July 30, 2026
While the government has so far resisted an outright ban on barbecues, for UK residents and leisure visitors who want to avoid being the cause of wildfire catastrophes, both the NFCC guidance and the reduced availability of equipment on sale mean adjusting outdoor eating plans to take a prepared picnic instead, or eat at a nearby establishment, rather than lighting up cooking equipment in the wild.
High Peak MP Jon Pearce said: “This isn’t about stopping people enjoying the outdoors. It’s about protecting our countryside, supporting our firefighters and preventing avoidable fires before they start.”
