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.

It's absolutely fine legally, morally and practically to continue activities which don't have a high risk of starting fires, such as continuing to responsibly use your garden BBQ. Good Grief!

I just cannot believe the number of people lacking in basic reasoning skills that are spouting nonsense.

It’s not a random rule - just common sense. When the countryside is this dry, doesn’t it make sense to avoid unnecessary flames/sparks outside?

When something is optional or a leisure activity, why is it a problem to avoid it, when doing it could lead to the destruction of vast swathes of countryside, animals and, people’s homes, and to injuries and deaths?

If there are no wildfires, then there will be more appliances and firefighters available to deal with fires from other reasons, @Backedoffhackedoff.

No, if you have common sense, you'd understand that responsibly using your sensibly sited gas garden BBQ is no higher risk of starting a fire than cooking on your gas kitchen cooker. Or are you suggesting all cooking should be banned?

The point is your common sense is flawed. Having a standing gas bbq is no different to all the risks you’re taking of starting a fire in your house.

From the government website:

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. Recipients will also be urged to report any fire immediately by calling 999.

gas fires - could be fine, make that judgment.
anything else, well….why bother at the moment? Why do you absolutely have to at the moment? My charcoal smoker (very robust and covered) requires a flame to light it. Hence, I am not using it.

Where did you get that link from 😂 we all got the actual alert, which specified disposable bbqs

Good grief. Disposable BBQs, which by their design are a high fire risk and often not disposed of responsibly.

There is nothing wrong with risk assessing your garden BBQ set up, recognising it as a low risk of causing fire and continuing to safely and responsibly use it.

There is no need to judge the majority of people who have perfectly safe garden BBQ set us for coninuing to safely and responsibly use them. They are doing nothing risky.

It’s almost like desperation to be judgey and have a group of people they can call dim/ thick/ witless/ selfish?! With no actual disposable bbq users to turn on, just got to make something up

The actual alert read There is a very high risk of wildfires nationally. Residents, landowners and visitors should not undertake any activity that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators or fireworks.
"Even a small flame can rapidly develop into a major wildfire placing lives, homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk.
“Follow official updates and report signs of fire immediately by calling 999."

Edited to add, my post is about over the top reactions in what is undeniably a risky situation but one where people will and can make risk based decisions.

i know, I got one.

But it’s splitting hairs. Clearly, they would rather people didn’t light flames but they likely thought that banning all bbqs would cause outrage so they are suggesting it’s a bad idea but definitely don’t use disposable as that’s a high risk awful idea.

“likely thought that banning all bbqs would cause outrage”

no they didn’t think that. They did what the fire service asked them too after risk assessing

There are no words for the lack of critical thinking on this thread. Anyway, I'm off to enjoy a safe, low fire risk garden BBQ. Enjoy your misplaced judgement.

Why is a BBQ a necessity?

Your gas barbecue in your garden may be low risk, but when people are losing homes, and firefighters are getting injured, why take even the small risk?

I am not saying I’d report people having a barbecue in their garden, or that I’d support people reporting others - I just don’t understand why people are willing to take even a small risk of causing a wildfire, for the sake of a leisure activity.

Gas barbecues may not be a massive fire risk but charcoal ones, disposable or not, are and there are fires caused by them every year. They are no different in essence to a firepit which are mentioned specifically. Just don't light a fire for a while. It's simple.

At 9am this morning I drove past a firefighter unlocking the fire station with a fag hanging out of his mouth. Why was he doing that? Why was that a necessity?

Do you genuinely think that anyone has said that a fireman having a fag is "a necessity"?

I can't comprehend how you have reached that conclusion.

Not sure you’ve understood what I was saying.

We’re being asked why a bbq is a necessity though.

maybe it’s just that people do things that aren’t necessities every day? Like the fire fighter

You asked "why is him having a fag a necessity" when it's perfectly clear no-one thinks it is.

You seem to be making up positions to argue against that no-one has actually stated.

If you meant to ask something different, then ask something different.

Nope, I will continue to BBQ responsibly and safely in my garden. Quit making up arbitary rules. And don't get pissy and judgemental when people don't follow your made up rules.

the firefighter doesn’t have to justify his smoking as a necessity and neither do posters here have to justify their garden bbqs as a necessity.

I still am not sure why you were asking others to justify an unknown man's smoking as a necessity, in that case. But glad you've acknowledged it was unnecessary!

That’s ok, if you don’t understand you don’t understand. Not really my problem tbh

Well many idf the rules for covid really?

Yeah I bet you cheat at Monopoly too. Just hope your house doesn't burn down in the next wave of fires.