Hampshire fire expert urges people to ditch disposable barbecues to prevent wildfires during dry spell

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s group manager for prevention, John Amos, urged people not to use disposable barbecues as the temperatures are predicted to reach highs of 30 and fire crews work overtime to put out grass fires.

He said: “Disposable barbecues pose a fire risk and this risk increases during prolonged periods of hot and sunny weather.

"We’re pleased to see some retailers removing them from sale and see this as a positive step to making the countryside safer.

"The grass and undergrowth are incredibly dry right now, which means fires can start very easily, and spread very rapidly.

"Last month alone we dealt with almost 680 fires in the open and our firefighters, control room colleagues and support staff have been working exceptionally hard in challenging conditions.

"Don’t light campfires, bonfires or barbecues in the countryside, parks, commons or our outdoor spaces and dispose of your rubbish - including glass bottles and smoking materials – responsibly.

"We know people want to enjoy time outdoors when the weather is nice but please pack a picnic, not a disposable barbecue."

Mr Amos's call has been echoed by other fire experts around the county, with some urging the government to step in and take action.

Some businesses, such as The Southern Co-op, have said they will remove disposable barbecues from all their stores in an effort to protect the environment and citizens from fire outbreak.

Southern Co-op's chief executive, Mark Smith said: "We have had a longstanding commitment to reduce our impact on the environment.

"We’ve taken this additional step, to completely remove disposable barbecues from sale in all our 199 managed stores, to play our part in addressing the impacts of the extraordinarily dry conditions across the south.

"We hope our members and customers will support this important move to protect our local wildlife and ecosystems."

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has been called out to several wildfires as the county faces a prolonged dry spell.

It also comes at a time when water supplies are running low, with people also urged to be careful and not waste water.

Southern Water brought in a hosepipe ban on Friday, August 5, covering a large part of Hampshire, with other operators in the county such as South East Water and Portsmouth Water urging people to use water moderately.

Southern Water said that as well as hot weather and no rain fall, low water levels in the River Itchen and Test were also to blame.

It's the first time since 2012 that a limit of this kind has been imposed in areas across the region.