BBQ party tonight

A hose? If your neighbour is a mumsnetter they would have a nervous breakdown!! A BBQ and a hose, that’s a full house of anxiety right there.

You can't see the problem even though the problem is obvious.

There's always a risk with a BBQ, but a tolerable one. (There's a risk using the oven, or an iron, or hair straighteners, or anything hot ever, we all tolerate it.)

The problem currently is IF anything happened with your BBQ it would spread faster and the firefighters may not respond as quickly, so the risk of serious impact is much increased.

I wonder how many people kicking off about gas BBQs at home, smoke

Exactly.

Even the Fire Service specifically mention disposable bbqs and not all bbqs. You all need to get a grip.

Yes. If you read on it also says “ Never leave a household barbecue unattended and ensure it is fully extinguished after use.”

What has the world come to? Its disposable BBQs that are the safety issue... a BBQ in your garden is fine, just keep a hose or bucket of water to hand just in case! 👍

i would have a bbq in our garden. It is a huge patio. There is no risk whatsoever. Only you know the risk in your own garden.

Disposable bbqs were specifically mentioned in the alert.

You can’t see the issue? Really?

And rules or not, as I noted up thread, the very last thing I would want to do after days of this oppressive and close heat, is stand over a direct heat source cooking meat.

People are fucking nuts.

I think most people know which neighbours are most likely to ignore the 'no fires' warning ...

The country is dry as fuck. Fires are wiping out huge areas and bored feral children are deliberately starting them in a lot of areas, too. Firefighters are exhausted.

Your DH is a twat.

Isn't it the disposable ones, the ones that people take to fields, camping etc? I can't see the issue of a well-controlled BBQ at home, esp with a can of water for just in case.

We've got family over tomorrow for a BBQ. We're going to cook everything inside instead. It wasn’t even a discussion.

Common sense is not common

if the government advice simply said “guys, be sensible” then many would not be sensible.

many on this thread seem to think they are different, special, more able to assess the risk so can do what they want.

idiots

Ah and as expected, what do we have now? Fire services reporting being inundated with calls yesterday following the alert from people reporting their neighbours for having a bbq.
Seems many of them are on this thread.

If someone reported me for having a gas bbq, I’d piss myself laughing.

I grew up on a farm and in summer we often used to get field fires where the dry straw stubble or bales would ignite (usually because of a stray cigarette butt or glass bottle). They were terrifing but generally able to be controlled as the surrounding verges and gardens etc were not as dry.

Right now everyone's garden and every verge and park is the straw field.

Have the damn bbq. Everyone saying not to is nuts. Straight after the alert our service 'Dorset Fire and Rescue' up dated all their socials with a message that basically said 'please do not call us to report someone having a controlled bbq. We do not have the power to intervene as tonights security message was a reminder of sensible behaviour surrounding fire'.
Bbqs are not banned. We had a bbq on the beach last night. A proper one not disposable. Beach security were happy enough and it was tended to by a group of responsible adults. Go ahead with the bbq. People are over reacting. If you were asking if you could use a disposable in the forest, then that would be different.

What if there are no surrounding trees?
What if your garden is all paved or fake grass?
What if it’s a gas bbq?

People underestimate fire.
They don't understand it.
They certainly don't appreciate that it's a thing with a will of it's own.
Fire can move on the air, it can 'jump' roads & fire breaks and unless you've seen fire out of control close up then no one can understand how fast it moves.

Exactly!

Only idiots -usually Billy Big Bollocks men - are going to be lighting up BBQs of any sort, having camp fires or letting off fireworks whilst this dryness continues. I have no sympathy for them if things go wrong as humans.
I'm 100% with nature everytime it always sufferds because of selfish human behaviour.

And even if the risk of fire is low for eg a gas bbq, the risk of neighbours rolling their eyes and seeing you forever after as "those twats who used their bbq the day after that emergency alert" will be very high.

Is not like you're going to be able to go round and explain to them all how it's technically not banned and you've got a bucket etc. The first impression you make by using your bbq at all will be the one that sticks in their minds.

The same guidance that says this?

'The alert, that will be sent on a rolling basis from approximately 19:00, will warn people not to light anything that could spark a fire, including barbecues, campfires, and fireworks.'

I imagine they thought it was on balance better to remind people not to leave their banned BBQs unattended...

Well said !