AIBU to think heatwave barbecue reactions are starting to feel a bit Covid?

[PatioDwellers]

To think the bbq/fires in the heatwave responses have the air of Covid about them …

’my neighbour is having a bbq what should I do’, Ring 101, call the fire brigade, take photos, people will die!

tinfoil bbqs in the countryside, tossers and rightly banned.

Let’s hope you don’t have one single stray ember that gets wafted up before you can do anything about it.

I assume you don’t live in area with dry grass and brittle plants.

You obviously don’t live in an area with weeks of smoke, can’t open windows, sit out in your garden etc

Covid was devastating.. wildfires are devastating. Grow up

Lots of virtue signalling going on in this thread.

But no-one, literally no-one is saying they will continue to use disposable barbeques or partake in any high fire risk activity.

We're just saying we will continue to use, taking all sensible precautions, our entirely legal to use, low fire risk, garden BBQs.

There is not a ban on barbeques or cooking outside. There is a ban on disposable barbeques because, unlike responsibly used garden barbeques, they pose a high fire risk due to their low to the ground design and their disposable nature.

We have a gas bbq down on concrete there is no way I woud risk it we have trees that have brown leaves ,people's compost heaps ,wood piles .
I can wait for BBQ food until after it rains . I also wouldn't want tonworry my neighbours whose houses would depend on my competence and safety measures and people who smell the smoke don't know me

That's up to you. Personally I will be using mine as I am confident is doesn't pose a fire risk and I'm able to use it responsibly.

I did ( misunderstood) thankyou for pointing it out.

Why didn’t they just ban disposable BBQs months ago? bbqs and campfires have been banned in the Cairngorms for months.

TBH, anyone with half a brain cell hasn't been using disposable BBQs or lighting campfires in this drought. Unlike responsibly used garden barbeques, these are very high fire risk activities.

If your point is that mass social censorship over BBQs feels a bit like the enforcement of Mask use - then yes it does. But that kind of social censure is one of the strongest tools we have to change society.
And is the reason most people: don’t drink and drive and would “report” someone for doing so, or wear seat belts.
I’m old enough to remember neither being the norm.

Has anyone mentioned those wretched sky lanterns? I lethal menace at the best time times

Well there have been some changes to the law such a banning disposable barbecues. Personally I wouldn't call the the fire brigade, but there's a fair chance I'd call the police if I saw someone using a disposable barbecue in a large open space, where a fire could cause harm to wildlife. A standing barbecue in their own garden: inadvisable, but not illegal.

Your neighbours don’t know that though? You will be making them anxious, plus the smoke is annoying when you have to have your windows open.

They're all responsibly BBQing too!

We actually have a street WhatsApp group where everyone always advises when they're lighting a BBQ to allow people to get the washing in etc.

It's really not about annoying smoke (unless I missed that from the UK alert yesterday!)

I asked AI if I could use my home bbq at the moment (in my area of the UK) and it said:

In , you can legally use your reusable bone/bowl barbecue in your private garden, but emergency services are urging extreme caution due to a Severe National Wildfire Alert. 1]
Local fire crews are currently stretched thin, dealing with major incidents like a severe fire at While home barbecues are not banned, the local environment is incredibly dry, and even a tiny stray spark could start a major blaze. 1, 2]

It has my sentiment! My burgers can wait.

And that's fine if that's how you feel. I've not seen anyone trying to force you to have a BBQ. It's entirely optional.

I will, however, continue to safely and responsibly use my low fire risk gas BBQ in my garden.

I went to a BBQ in a country park on Wednesday. TBH, I was surprised it was allowed and actually went ahead. All the fields there are dry and yellow.

Yeah well I asked a ouija board.

Interestingly, it accords with my own brain. Literally staring out at my brown garden.

A bbq isn't essential and you're not gonna die if you don't have one for a bit. You might if someone has one and a spark ignites the dead grass and then everyones houses though.

You obviously dont live in a really hot area or next to trees and bush and grassland, its not just houses destroyed and people maybe killed but animals and insects and birds and foxes cats dogs, the wild fires in Greece kill animals and livestock.and displaced cats and dogs who were then rounded up after by a charity,

Nope, I'll continue to safely use my responsibly sited, low fire risk, gas garden BBQ. No reason not to. Of course, I'm not going to undertake any high fire risk behaviour, such as using a disposible BBQ, since that would be both against the law and irresponsible.

I live in a regular residential area in the scorching SE. My gas barbeque, sited on a large stone patio, well away from anything flammable, used safely and never left unattended is a low fire risk, perfectly safe and I'll continue to use it.

Might be a moot point anyway, I think we finally have rain forecast next week.