Should disposable barbecues be banned?
Following one of the most devastating forest and heath fires in Dorset in living memory many people are calling for disposable barbecues to be banned.
The blaze that started at Wareham Forest on 18th May burned for over six days and destroyed more than 220 hectares of forest and healthland.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, whose crews from all 50 fire stations from across the service battled with the blaze which they say was started through ‘social activity’ – discarded barbecues, campfires and glass bottles were found at the site.
Forestry England who manage Wareham Forest say:
“It’s heartbreaking to see the damage this fire caused and a devastating blow to our staff that care for this forest.
It will take many decades to restore and regrow this area. It’s especially damaging to the rare birds, plants, reptiles, and invertebrates that usually thrive here.”
Dorset locals are calling for disposable barbecues to be banned due to the potential fire risk and litter they cause but why are disposable barbecues so potentially dangerous to our rural beauty spots?
Additional risks with disposable barbecues
There are risks with using any charcoal barbecue but there are additional risks to using disposable barbecues:
- As they are portable, they may be used in unsuitable locations such as under trees or near long grass, bushes or fences which may easily catch fire
- The bottom of the barbecue is foil and can get extremely hot, so there is potential to damage the ground underneath
- They can easily tip over
- They may take several hours to cool down and so are often left whilst still hot
- If they are placed in a bin before they are completely cool they may set the bin or rubbish bag alight.
- Barbecues produce carbon monoxide which is toxic and using them in a non-ventilated area can be fatal.
What are your views? Have you ever used a disposable barbecue? Would you take one with you on a picnic? Do you believe them to be dangerous enough to be banned?
What are your views?
We'd love to hear your comments
Log in to comment
You need to be logged in to interact with Silversurfers. Please use the button below if you already have an account.
LoginNot a member?
You need to be a member to interact with Silversurfers. Joining is free and simple to do. Click the button below to join today!
JoinCommunity Terms & Conditions
Content standards
These content standards apply to any and all material which you contribute to our site (contributions), and to any interactive services associated with it.
You must comply with the spirit of the following standards as well as the letter. The standards apply to each part of any contribution as well as to its whole.
Contributions must:
be accurate (where they state facts); be genuinely held (where they state opinions); and comply with applicable law in the UK and in any country from which they are posted.
Contributions must not:
contain any material which is defamatory of any person; or contain any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory; or promote sexually explicit material; or promote violence; promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age; or infringe any copyright, database right or trade mark of any other person; or be likely to deceive any person; or be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence; or promote any illegal activity; or be threatening, abuse or invade another’s privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety; or be likely to harass, upset, embarrass, alarm or annoy any other person; or be used to impersonate any person, or to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person; or give the impression that they emanate from us, if this is not the case; or advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.
Nurturing a safe environment
Our Silversurfers community is designed to foster friendships, based on trust, honesty, integrity and loyalty and is underpinned by these values.
We don't tolerate swearing, and reserve the right to remove any posts which we feel may offend others... let's keep it friendly!
Last year, while driving home through Thetford Forest with a new Collie pup we stopped off in a truck lay-by. Took my older Collie dog into the Forest to stretch his legs. One hundred yards into the Forest and what met me was utterly appalling. A sea of filthy rubbish!
Human faeces in many places, acres of pop bottles and cans, countless condoms and used tampons. But the number of soiled paper nappies shook me. The forest floor, in places, was piled high with them. It all stank! Human filth.
My dog and I beat a hasty retreat and a mile or so further on we found a cleaner place off the main road.
As one who's spent most of his life in the country living and working I may only say, the majority of people on this island do not deserve what they have.
Little wonder I'm always banging on to urban folk, 'go home, stay out of the country. It doesn't need you to mess it up anymore.'
In the past we've had miscreants setting fire to woodland or dropping cigarette ends near ripening cereals. The field behind me is 120 acres of winter barley. If that was set afire the farmer would lose around £75,000, (uninsurable) several people would lose their homes and cars as well as the certain deaths of much of our revived and burgeoning wildlife. We've spent many years cultivating our wild life.
If one field fires then many more will too. The loss to farmers, locals and wildlife would be utterly tragic.
None of our current penalties are severe enough to deter arsonists and careless youths. I assure you, my deterrents would be remembered for rest of their lives!
People use BBQs because they are too lazy to make a good old fashioned picnic.
More TV programmes about how to make a good easy picnic - specially for the the ignorant people who have no idea about how to enjoy a lovely summer’s day out in the country.
More advertising to highlight the dangers of portable bbqs, smoking and fires outside. They are putting other people’s lives at risk, penalties should be incurred.
Wardens to patrol popular areas.
A suggested beginning. Make them think of the consequences to THEM!
A software program needs to be written... IT IS WORTH THE PRICE AND SMALL EFFORT.
Then, before a purchase of these products is completed an agreement should also be completed. This could be done on the purchaser’s mobile by a quick scan and reference code. Numbered operating and safety instructions should be clicked on to agree to abide by under strict penalties ranging from substantial fines to imprisonment.
Regardless of the extra cost entailed - the item being purchased should have a traceable chip installed which would need to be clicked on when and where the object is discarded safely. The sale should not be completed until this is agreed by clicking OK!
How many more fires to prove the point?
The thousands of acres of wild habitat damaged for several years; the wild like killed or at best scared off doesn't bear thinking about.
That inferno was confirmed to be a disposable barbecue. Just carelessness (I'm being generous here) caused all that loss of life and damage. These things must be outlawed. If those responsible can be traced then severe punitive treatment must be exacted.
Get rid that's what I say. It seems too difficult a task for some people.
I personally don't see the joy in badly prepared singed but a little raw, food.... but those who think it adventurous to 'eat out' have to consider the bigger picture and consequences of leaving a potential fire hazard abandoned... for others to clear-away after them?
It becomes suddenly (as if only realising what a pain it would be) an inconvenience for them to take it away with them to dispose of safely.
Bob Scott.
Point in fact; next to my house is an alley which was used by many people to defecate, urinate, copulate, regurgitate and use needles, that stopped a few years ago when I installed flood lights and cameras.
If the problem is so desperate with these barbeques then something should be done about that, banning them is a simplistic way of doing something with no results whatsoever.
.
No I wouldn't ban them.