Dorset Council and Litter Free Dorset are calling on retailers across the county, including Poole, to voluntarily stop selling disposable barbecues as extreme heat pushes the Dorset Council wildfire risk into very high territory. The joint appeal asks shops to follow British Retail Consortium guidelines that recommend suspending sales when weather conditions create significant fire danger.
With the Fire Severity Index rated very high by Natural England and another heatwave on the way, councillors and campaigners want immediate action. Emma Teasdale, Litter Free Dorset Coordinator, pointed to a frustrating June when amber and red extreme heat warnings failed to stop some retailers selling barbecues. “Major retailers assure us that they follow the BRC guidelines, but last month we saw amber and red extreme heat warnings issued by the Met Office, and retailers continued to sell disposable barbecues that are clearly a fire risk. We are simply asking them to follow the voluntary guidelines they have already agreed to,” she said.
The pressure comes after Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service identified a disposable barbecue as the cause of a blaze that wrecked part of Studland Heath in 2022. Since then, 55 wildfires have already been recorded in Dorset this year. Councillor Nick Ireland, Dorset Council Leader, said Dorset is home to some of the country’s most treasured landscapes and wildlife habitats. “During periods of extreme heat, the risk of wildfire increases significantly, and we all have a role to play in reducing that risk,” he added.
Dorset’s internationally important heathlands, nature reserves, farmland and coastal habitats become especially vulnerable during prolonged dry spells. The council already uses a Public Spaces Protection Order to ban fires, including portable barbecues, on designated open land, with £100 fines for anyone caught lighting them. While the government has said barbecue-related fires are rare — 229 out of 45,673 accidental primary fires in 2024 — local campaigners say the damage can be catastrophic.
Some major retailers have already acted: Tesco banned so-called forest friendly disposable barbecues in May, and Southern Co-op removed them from all its Co-operative Food convenience stores. Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Vikki Slade introduced a parliamentary petition for an outright ban in December 2025, but the government said it had no plans for a blanket prohibition, leaving councils to manage the risk on public land.
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