I thought we agreed BBQs were a bad idea.

[Magenta82]

DD4 is going through a bit of a deep sleeping wetting the bed phase, we were busy today so I put 2 sets of her sheets on a long eco wash and stuck them on the line when we got back.

Half an hour later the whole garden is white, crazy amounts of smoke from next door and the worst smell of ligher fluid I've ever encountered.

I'm not sure how I'm going to get the waterproof sheets dry and I'm worried the whole street is about to go up in flames!

I’m fairly sure that using a gas hob indoors is safer than using a charcoal BBQ surrounded by parched lawn at the moment. As I said, it’s about common sense.

How are you BBQing? Genuinely?

I think it depends on what your house and garden are like. I would guess that if you avoid any accelerant and you have a large patio area with brick walls then you would be OK. Given that the trees and grass in our garden are all crispy and we have a large shade parasol covering our patio, I managed to persuade DH that a BBQ would not be a good idea and we ‘barbecued’ on the air fryer.

While it mentioned, amongst other things disposable BBQ's it also stated "any activity that could cause a fire".

At the moment? We are not. I don’t find having a BBQ a life essential; more of a nice to have sometimes. When the fire services are warning us of the dangers of even tiny sparks, and seeing videos of houses being burnt to the ground, I think we should listen. If I was, I’d use our gas bbq well away from any vegetation.

It’s worth looking at what Australia do. Charcoal BBQs, which I think the OP may be referring to, are more risky than gas.

I mean in general for your BBQ to be producing sparks and flames

We have just had a lovely barbecue on the patio, zero need for lighter fluid or clouds of smoke, and nothing set on fire. As usual. All very boring really.

The alert said ‘including disposable bbqs’
It said any activity that could start a fire, which any type of bbq can do

People have been told not to report neighbours for having bbqs as the emergency services have been inundated by nosy idiots calling 999

I don’t think many people actually read the alert correctly!
I do think though Op, you are more annoyed about your clean sheets than the risk of a fire

We just had one, no 999 incidents to report.

Disposable BBQs are the main issue, not a standard patio style BBQ, assuming that is what your neighbours have.

We have used our BBQ a lot this summer to avoid using the oven and heating up the house. It's on a patio, nowhere near a fence. We don't intend to stop using it.

Reporting to who?! 🤣

A bbq is fine!
A disposable one on the grass is not.

Did we? I must’ve missed the consultation.

Until people who have 'accidently' caused wildfires due to recklessness and are charged with arson then a lot of people will keep lighting BBQs.
It will be interesting to see if the government get the court system to fast track these arson cases, like they did the rioters a few years back, to make a public example of them.

A BBQ is still a risk, and could be construed as "recklessness" in terms of arson if it goes out of control, particularly as no one can say they weren't aware of the risk.
Arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered carries a maximum life sentence.

I won't be using an form of naked flame outside until it rains significantly (and we have had some rain where I am already), not worth the risk of fire, or the risk of prison.

Its a shame that the arsonists probably won't get life sentences

The Fire Service have specifically requested that idiots don't waste their time by reporting neighbours for having perfectly legal and safe BBQs in their garden.

This is what the actual published guidance says. Household BBQs are absolutely fine. We’ve just enjoyed one.

Because common sense would dictate that the alert would have included BBQs & not just disposable ones. They are ok to use if using common sense eg far from grass, fences etc.

Now obviously some won't use them sensibly

And yet, 44% of domestic fires in the UK are started by hobs…

It was for any activity that might start a fire, disposable barbecues included, but not only disposables.

So can any type of cooking if you don't use common sense or you get something wrong.

Perhaps we should all stop bothering to cook because it might cause a fire.

I have a gas barbie which is on the concrete patio. It would be pretty safe as it is well away from dry grass, vegetation or the wooden sheds and fence. The main reason I am not using it at the moment is because of the extreme heat we have been having, meaning that I don't want it making me even hotter and I can't be arsed with it.

Disposable barbies were the ones specifically mentioned in the alert. They are the biggest danger because people tend to put them down directly on the tinder dry grass and then leave them/not douse them properly. That makes total sense and I believe they have been withdrawn from sale.

yes, they have been withdrawn from sale