Government issues temporary ban on sale of disposable BBQs over wildfire risk

The government has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable BBQs as wildfires rage across the UK. It comes after a series of devastating wildfires, including a major blaze in the West Midlands that sent six firefighters to hospital.The ban applies to BBQs sold both in stores and online and will remain in force until weather conditions improve and the risk of wildfires subsides.The BIST said disposable BBQs "cannot be considered a safe product" in the current conditions and they "must not be made available for sale either in store or online at the current time" in Great Britain.Firefighters dampen down a field next to burnt out houses following a huge blaze in StourbridgePAPrime Minister Andy Burnham has called in the military and warned smokers not to risk setting light to “tinderbox” Britain as he scrambled to respond to the summer heatwave and wildfires.He said the country has to “face up” to the “changing climate” and needs to transition to “more clean energy”.Mr Burnham said plans were being drawn up for emergency financial support for fire services battling the spread of wildfires, adding “I’ve never seen scenes like this in Britain, where you just see a whole house gutted, smouldering.”“Britain is a tinderbox right now”, he added, with “37 fires smouldering around the country”.Across the capital, the impact of the heat is being felt by emergency services.Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham talks with a West Midlands Police Incident Commander during a visit to StourbridgeAFP/GettyThe London Ambulance Service has faced unprecedented demand, receiving around 6,000 calls a day. This surpasses numbers seen during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.Read MoreLondon’s green spaces, including Hyde Park and Greenwich's Blackheath have turned completely brown and barren as firefighters from London Fire Brigade work around the clock to combat spikes in grass and wildfires.Meanwhile, frontline staff, including paramedics and bus drivers, are working in sweltering conditions.