Farmers and MPs urge temporary ban on disposable grills amid wildfire danger

Amid a prolonged heatwave and the worst drought in parts of the country since 1976, farmers and landowners are urging authorities to impose a temporary ban on disposable barbecues in England and Wales. Paul Tompkins, deputy president of the National Farmers Union, highlighted that a single stray match could wipe out weeks of hard-won harvest and threaten livestock. The appeal is backed by firefighters, the Liberal Democrats and a number of Labour MPs, and follows a series of wildfires that have burned over 20,000 hectares nationwide, including incidents near the Sizewell B nuclear facility.

While major supermarkets have largely ceased selling these grills, they continue to be stocked by smaller retailers and online sellers. The Country Land and Business Association also called for the ban, while simultaneously urging Natural England to lift the current prohibition on controlled burning, which they argue can reduce fuel loads. Conservationists caution against over-grazing, and experts dispute claims that rewilding increases fire risk, pointing to beaver reintroduction as a drought-mitigation success.