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.

Everybody thinks they’re the exception 🙄

And those fires in Greece were started by? You common bbq at home? Nope

Nobody is arguing that we need to be very careful about fires. Nobody is arguing fur disposable BBQs.
But the PM has never said no one should have a bbq in their garden. Ther garden. Not next to grassland, bracken etc…. Their garden.

Not the exception. There is no rule restricting the use of garden BBQs. This is because, unlike a disposable BBQ, a reusable garden barbeque, especially a gas one, is not a high fire risk so there is no need to restrict their use.

Good Grief!

Therein lies the problem. Because the preaching and many of the roolz imposed by Saint Boris and his merry men in 2020 were so utterly nonsensical "masks are worse than useless, but they are compulsory when it suits us", and then Johnson proved that he knew that the roolz were rubbish by partying, some people will not take further government dictats seriously. I said it at the time: deliberately frightening the pants off the public was a very bad move, and would backfire later, and the government would have less moral high ground for a future emergency. I was told to shut up, put my mask back on, and stop murdering grannies.

And yes, the frustrated and unemployed Covid marshals are delighted to have something to moralise about.

Yes, fire is a very real risk, I do not doubt that, and I would be angry if I saw somebody starting a fire, and these "roolz" do not have devastating consequences, unlike the much-hallowed lockdowns, which caused massive and lasting damage, and still nobody will admit this. If infantilising and insulting is overdone, the message can be lost among the noise. We are being preached at from all sides, every day, with many things: don't use plastic straws, don't buy new to save the planet, do buy new to save the economy, don't flush the toilet, do flush the toilet, mind the gap, watch your speed...

It's interesting to note the similarities in the messaging with Covid, and the eclipse. In 1999, the papers were full of moralising pics of families wearing the eclipse glasses. In 2020, the papers were full of pics of people all masked up (and allegedly, Johnson's own behavioural squad showed him pictures of world leaders wearing masks, to persuade him to wear one, when he was reluctant). Similarly, the word "flocking", which implies disapproval.
1999: Millions will be "flocking" to Cornwall to see the eclipse. Don't go, you'll be stuck in the gridlock.
2020: Millions are "flocking" to the beaches, when they should be cowering at home, waiting for their guardian angel Boris de Gabriel Johnson to appear on the screen.

We yes, but in the Cairngorms those without half a brain cell can have their fires and bbqs (outside of private gardens) put out and get fined.

Because this is exactly what people said about covid 'nobody needs to leave the house'

Grow upppp

How do you know this? My neighbours had a barbecue today and it didn’t make me anxious at all.

You're just proving her point lol

I was at a child's 3rd birthday party today at forest school. People were questioning whether they should have lit the candles on the birthday cake 🤣

But obviously will be more common in a country that has high temperatures for much of the year. I feel like I’m explaining this to a low ability child.

Yes to this.

Also, the losing of all sense of perspective in hot weather.

The grass is so dry at the moment that a spark from a fire pit or BBQ could tear across a lawn in a minute. It could be just a 1/10,000 chance, but the point is that the one that sparks could be lethal, and even if there's no danger to life it's still going to tie up fire service resources. Some people will ignore it but if you can reduce the number of potentials then it's worth everyone being "inconvenienced" for a few weeks.

Are your neighbours using a disposable BBQ in a back garden filled with dry old pine trees whose needles form a carpet on the ground?

If not, then your resentment is misplaced.

My gas BBQ doesn't spark. And it's on a stone patio, nowhere near anything flammable. Since it is neither a banned disposable BBQ, nor does it constitute a high fire risk, I will continue to safely and responsibly enjoy barbeques in my garden as long as the rain stays away.

There's more chance of you setting off a fire by charging your phone than there is of my attended, responsibly sited, safely used gas garden barbeque starting a fire.

Can’t really tell if people are genuinely ignorant enough to believe a gas BBQ at home poses a real risk or they just love an opportunity to snitch on their neighbours or virtue signal that they are a very good and responsible citizen for not having a BBQ. Either way seems people have collectively lost their mind during this weather and are unable to think rationally. So yeah, similar to Covid I suppose. My neighbours are having a BBQ at the moment, would not even occur to me to judge them, report them or be concerned that our street is about to go up in flames but seems like I’m in the minority here.

What did they use to light them? A still-hot match, discarded on the ground, could easily cause a fire under current conditions. People just don’t think anything through properly.

I suppose I’d feel like that if I was making stuff up too.

Given that last year my neighbours managed to set fire to vegetation about 4 feet above their gas barbecue under normal weather conditions, I have much less certainty than you about this situation.

In 2020, someone on Mumsnet said that you mustn’t travel, because your car tyres churn up the virus and spread it around. Seriously, someone did say this!

Now for the mumsnet dilemma of the year: are we allowed to use a hose to put out a fire?

Sometimes they are started by at home bbqs in greece and the incorrect disposal of hot coals afterwards. We’ve just come back from Greece and our villa had very specific instructions on the use of the built in brick bbq with warnings about stray embers, disposal of coals etc. It really is down to the user. While it is possible to have a safe bbq, unfortunately not everyone is a diligent in not leaving it unattended etc

Sensible question imo

Have you ever seen a wildfire outrunning the fastest?

https://www.gewocandle.com/news/industry-news/are-there-any-safety-risks-associated-with-birthday-candles-how.html

I’m asking you personally … if everyone is a bellend for having a bbq in this weather why did you need to read the alert before deciding not to have one? Surely you already knew not to!!

“Explaining this to a low ability child” 🤭

This is the funniest burn. 😂

No burns allowed!
Haven't you seen the government warnings?

Safe to say BBQ went without a hitch. No stray embers. No grass on fire and no need for a bucket of water.

We're northwest so probably cooler than most on here. We had the smoke from the Manchester fires weeks ago and they are still dampening them now 4 weeks later. So yes there's dry grass and brittle plants. But I'm not stupid or careless.