The Prime Minister said the ban – which applies to Wales, Scotland and England – would be in place ‘until further notice’.
A temporary ban on disposable barbecues has come into force on Friday, after the grills were said to be the source of multiple wildfires which have broken out across the country.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the ban – which applies to Wales, Scotland and England, but not Northern Ireland – would be in place “until further notice”.
He also warned smokers against lighting up outdoors and urged them to dispose of cigarettes carefully.
More wildfires have now struck England and Wales in 2026 so far than in the whole of 2025, with the latest spate of blazes in the West Midlands having led to people fleeing their homes to get out of the path of encroaching fires.
Speaking as he visited houses in Stourbridge which had been destroyed by wildfire, the Prime Minister said: “The temporary ban on barbecues, disposable barbecues, comes in today. All retailers will be receiving notification of that ban, and we ask them to, obviously, implement it in full until further notice when we can remove it.”
He also told reporters: “I would also want to say to the public, you can see what’s happening: 37 significant fires across England and Wales. Please do not light an open fire, a bonfire of any kind.
“If you’re disposing of a cigarette, take great care. This is obviously a really combustible situation, literally.
“We need to respect that fact and make sure that no-one is taking any risk, because you’re taking risks with other people’s homes, with other people’s lives if you act recklessly in this moment.”
The Prime Minister added: “Britain is a tinderbox right now, and please just have that in your mind.”
Single-use barbecues “have been the cause of a number of serious wildfires across the country over the summer months”, advice published online by the Government said.
The guidance, published by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade on Friday afternoon, said: “Disposable barbecues cannot be considered a safe product in the context of the ongoing weather and environmental conditions and must not be made available for sale either in store or online at the current time.”
The Prime Minister suggested a ban could be introduced following a Cobra meeting earlier this week, and urged retailers “big and small” to voluntarily withdraw all sales of disposable barbecues.
Many major retailers, including supermarkets, have already done so as a result of guidance shared by the British Retail Consortium and National Fire Chiefs Council.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “We want everyone to enjoy summer safely. With wildfire risks exceptionally high, we’re taking common-sense steps to protect lives and the environment.
“Disposable barbecues pose an obvious threat in the extreme conditions we’re experiencing, so we’re telling retailers who haven’t already stopped selling them to do so now.”
Jon Pearce, the Labour MP for High Peak, who has been campaigning for the temporary ban, welcomed its introduction.
He said: “I have been calling on retailers to stop selling these products because the risk they pose to our countryside and communities is simply too great in these conditions.
“We have seen devastating wildfires across the country this summer, including in and around the Peak District. We cannot afford to be complacent when the conditions are so dry, and the risk of fire is so high.
“I’m grateful to the retailers who listened to my campaign and took action, and I’m pleased the Government has now gone further by making clear that disposable barbecues should not be available for sale.
“This is an important step to help protect our countryside, wildlife, homes and communities. I will continue to push for action to reduce the risk of wildfires in the Peak District and across the country.”
