As the UK’s heatwave continues, the wildfire risk posed by disposable barbecues has led a number of independent forecourt operators to cease selling the items.
MFG announced on August 14 that it has removed the items from sale at all of its 1,200 forecourts, with the firm’s chief executive, William Bannister, calling this “a straightforward decision” and urging “every other forecourt operator in the country to do the same today”.
Some operators were ahead of MFG, however. David Charman, managing director of the award-winning Parkfoot Spar forecourt in West Malling, Kent, says that he stopped selling disposable barbecues a week ago as he considers it “socially unacceptable” to offer them during the extreme conditions. Afterwards, once he has cleared his stock, he has decided ”not to sell them again”.
Tout’s, which runs three forecourts across Somerset, stopped selling the items on August 1, while Guy White has never sold them at his Laurels forecourt in Horncastle saying: “I’ve avoided them and I’m pleased that I have done”. White says rather than wildfires, though, his decision was driven by his forecourt’s relative proximity to the coast, and the knowledge that some beachgoers leave them buried in the sand.
Pricewatch Group, which operates five forecourts, has also stopped selling the items, with general manager Tom Buckley commenting: “With so much woodland and farmland across the south-east, we believe it’s simply the responsible and respectful thing to do.”
Goran Raven, of Raven’s Budgens forecourt in Essex, has made a similar decision, adding that he will “never be restocking” the items as it “seems as though they are only purchased by people who lack an understanding of how to use them responsibly”.
One independent multi-site operator who asked to remain anonymous has taken a more subtle approach, though, removing disposable barbecues from front-facing displays at some sites, and sharing with customers fire brigade advice on how to use the products responsibly.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently urged all shops to adhere to voluntary guidance and halt sales of the items, commenting: “We would say to retailers do not put disposable barbecues on sale at this moment in time.”
Last week Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda pulled disposable barbecues from sale, while Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose and M&S ceased stocking the items back in 2022.
The National Fire Chiefs Council says 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales so far this year, with a number attributed to disposable barbecues. A fire the size of a football pitch on heathland in Cannock Chase, Staffs, that killed wildlife is thought to have been caused by a smouldering barbecue in late July, while North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service battled a 4,300sq ft blaze on the North York Moors in early August, with an irresponsibly used portable barbecue blamed.
