A ban on disposable barbecues across England, Scotland and Wales has been introduced following a series of wildfires.
The temporary measure took effect on Friday (August 14) and follows a rise in blazes across England and Wales, which have already seen more incidents in 2026 than in the whole of 2025.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "The temporary ban on barbecues, disposable barbecues, comes in today.
"All retailers will be receiving notification of that ban, and we ask them to, obviously, implement it in full until further notice when we can remove it."
This evening, an Emergency Alert has been sent to people across England and Wales as the wildfire risk remains very high. The request came directly from Fire and Rescue Services.
I was in Stourbridge today and saw first-hand the devastating impact these fires have had on…— Andy Burnham (@andyburnham) August 14, 2026
During a visit to Stourbridge where some houses had been destroyed by wildfire, he urged the public to avoid all open flames.
He said: "I would also want to say to the public, you can see what’s happening: 37 significant fires across England and Wales.
"Please do not light an open fire, a bonfire of any kind."
The ban does not extend to Northern Ireland.
Which UK retailers have banned disposable barbecues from sale?
Many retailers had already stopped selling the products following advice from the British Retail Consortium and the National Fire Chiefs Council.
These include:
- Asda
- Co-op
- Home Bargains
- Morrisons
- The Range
- Sainsbury's
- Tesco
- Wilko
Retailers Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose and M&S stopped selling disposable barbecues in 2022.
Why have disposable barbecues been banned?
Government guidance describes single-use barbecues as the cause of "a number of serious wildfires across the country over the summer months".
This has been exacerbated by the prolonged hot and dry weather experienced recently in the UK.
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade said on Friday: "Disposable barbecues cannot be considered a safe product in the context of the ongoing weather and environmental conditions and must not be made available for sale either in store or online at the current time."
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: "We want everyone to enjoy summer safely.
"With wildfire risks exceptionally high, we’re taking common-sense steps to protect lives and the environment.
"Disposable barbecues pose an obvious threat in the extreme conditions we’re experiencing, so we’re telling retailers who haven’t already stopped selling them to do so now."
Jon Pearce, Labour MP for High Peak, who campaigned for the ban, welcomed the decision and praised retailers who acted early.
He said: "This is an important step to help protect our countryside, wildlife, homes and communities.
"I will continue to push for action to reduce the risk of wildfires in the Peak District and across the country."
Have you used a disposable barbecue before? Let us know in the comments.
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