Andy Burnham has said he could ban disposable barbecues in a bid to prevent wildfires.
When North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service concluded an in-depth investigation into the Langdale/Fylingdales Moor Fire, which happened last year, it said that the cause was believed to be cooking using a naked flame, such as a campfire or gas burner.
Burnham said the message needed to get “out loud and clear” and urged people not to use them outside at this moment.
He also warned people about cigarettes, but he doesn’t know yet what the remedy is.
The prime minister was on a visit to Stevenage and added that a ban was something the government is certainly going to consider.
“There is obviously a significant problem of wildfires in the south,” he said. “The New Forest fire is a great concern; we have seen them in northern areas, as well as Suffolk recently,
“Many of them have been created by disposable barbecues”, he added.