Government ignores North Yorkshire's pleas to ban disposable barbecues over wildfire risk

Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume reiterated her calls for a public ban on disposable barbecues after the latest fire on the North York Moors.

North Yorkshire politicians have urged the Government to ban disposable barbecues in public, after one sparked another wildfire that has decimated the region’s woodland.

The blaze broke out in Wykeham Forest, near Scarborough, on Sunday, with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service scrambling crews from eight different stations.

Forestry England, who manage the woodland, said this should be a warning to visitors, after the hottest July on record.

Andy Widdowson, the head of recreation, said: "There must be no BBQs or fires of any type.”

This blaze was almost a year to the day that a campfire on Langdale Moor sparked the biggest wildfire in the country last year.

The rescue effort of fire crews, farmers and gamekeepers was beset by explosions from World War Two munitions, as it reached RAF Fylingdales which was built on an old army training area.

The blaze was eventually put out, but not before it had surged towards properties and businesses.

Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume reiterated her calls for a public ban on disposable barbecues after the latest fire on the North York Moors.

“I’m upset that, after everything our communities went through last summer, a disposable barbecue has sparked a blaze on the North York Moors National Park,” she said.

“People watched in horror as flames tore across our landscape, threatening homes, businesses, livelihoods and RAF Fylingdales.

“Firefighters, farmers and others put themselves in harm's way to stop that disaster becoming even worse.

“Yet despite all the warnings and the scars that are still visible today, this continues to happen.

“I’d like to see supermarkets remove immediately disposable barbecues from their shelves.

“One careless decision is all it takes and it’s why I will continue to call for disposable barbecues to be banned in public areas.”

Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith and Deputy Mayor Jo Coles have written to retailers calling on them to stop selling disposable barbecues.

Following the latest fire, Mr Skaith said: “I am furious, especially after the devastating wildfires we experienced last year not too far away.

“It completely defies common sense to set a barbeque going after how dry the summer has been.

“It's time for all supermarkets to step up and ban disposable barbeques to stop incidents like this happening again.”

Yorkshire dairy farmer Paul Tompkins, National Farmers’ Union vice president, reiterated this, saying wildfires were hitting farmers at the same time as potentially the worst harvest on record.

“A stray match or single spark, and months of hard work can be wiped out in just minutes; crops destroyed and harvest ruined, vital machinery and infrastructure damaged and livestock put at serious risk,” he said.

“Beyond the immediate losses, there could be long-term consequences for soil health, grassland productivity and confidence of farm businesses already facing significant pressures.”

Wildfires have affected every part of the UK this year, with 20,000 hectares estimated to have been burned.

In the Peak District, the Woodhead Pass between Sheffield and Manchester was closed for more than week after moorland the size of 900 football pitches burned for over a month.

The wildfires have been exacerbated by the incredibly dry weather, with many parts of the country having less than a millimetre of rain in July.

However, a government spokesperson rejected calls for any sort of ban, saying: “There are no plans to introduce a blanket ban on disposable barbeques.

“We take the risk of fires very seriously which is why we’ve taken action to make disposable barbeques safer to use, including making sure they follow strict product safety rules and giving councils the power to ban them in high risk areas.”