All of Dorset’s major supermarkets have announced they will stop selling disposable barbecues. Representatives for Haven and B&Q confirmed to the Echo that they have also removed the items from sale. As the Echo reports, there have been a number of calls for a ban on single-use barbecues with Litter Free Dorset ‘double-down’ on their campaign. The announcements come as a red fire severity alert – the highest possible level – has been issued across Dorset. Extreme temperatures have led to dry conditions which, in turn, create an ideal atmosphere for fire to spread. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service attended 180 bushfires in the first 10 days of August – a 429 per cent increase on the same period last year. There have recently been huge fires near Blandford, Swanage, Corfe Castle, Winfrith Newburgh, Dorchester and Bridport among others. Dorset Fire Service has thanked retailers for removing disposable barbecues from their shelves as it urges people to take extra care while the weather remains so dry. Area manager Marc House said: “We know from the Wareham Forest fire in 2020, and many other fires both in our Service Area and elsewhere in the country, that the misuse of disposable barbecues can lead to devastating fires. “We have our #BringAPicnicNotABarbecue campaign to encourage people to enjoy our beautiful countryside in a safe way and we thank M&S and other retailers for supporting the move away from disposable barbecues as this helps highlight the risks and encourages safer alternatives. “We still need everyone to be more careful when they’re out and about – a discarded cigarette, a fire, even a portable barbecue on a campsite, all have the potential to start a fire.” The move to ban the sale of disposable barbecues has been welcomed by residents and tourists alike. Jenna and Manny Day were visiting Weymouth from Oxford and said: “It’s a good idea to have the ban, people are careless and often ruin it for the rest of us. “We stop at a farm, after we put our fire out, it came back on after we left because it’s so dry, luckily the farmer noticed and put it out, but we haven’t had it back on since.” Glen McDowell, 54, said he believed the decision was for the best, although it was caused by “a few careless people”. He said: “It’s understandable if people are not safe with them and leave them unattended: we’ve certainly seen people leave their barbecues on the beach before. “It is unfortunate that a few careless people have affected so many, but it is better not to take any chances.” Earlier in the week, Litter Free Dorset redoubled its campaign to stop the sale of disposable barbecues, saying they pose an undeniable risk to wildlife and public safety. “Not only do they pose a serious fire risk – which has only increased with the hot dry weather we are currently experiencing – but they are unsustainable, contribute to deforestation and over a million bought in the UK each year will end up in landfill or cremation.”
