North Yorkshire mayor welcomes government disposable BBQ ban

While last year’s fire at Langdale Moor was not caused by a disposable barbecue, David Skaith said the fire caused “great harm to our communities, our wildlife, and our countryside”.

Prime minister Andy Burnham announced the disposable barbecue ban for Wales, Scotland and England on Friday (August 14) “until further notice”.

It comes after the grills were said to be the source of multiple wildfires which have broken out across the country.

Mr Burnham 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.

Mr Skaith said he has been asking retailers in York and North Yorkshire to remove “these £5 wildfire kits from sale” for weeks, adding: “I’m glad the government has acted and done the right thing.

“Last year’s wildfire on Langdale/Fylingdales Moor saw unprecedented amounts of North Yorkshire moorland burn, emitting more carbon from the burning peat beds than any wildfire in recent memory.

“These fires caused great harm to our communities, our wildlife, and our countryside. And they were all completely avoidable.

“I would like to once again thank our hardworking fire service, as well as the farmers, gamekeepers and landowners who were instrumental in getting the blaze under control.

“A temporary halt, particularly in times of dry weather like we’re experiencing currently, is a sensible move to avoid us repeating the events of last summer.

“I will continue to push for retailers to withdraw the sale of disposable barbecues across York and North Yorkshire on a permanent basis. The convenience of one must never come before the safety of our rural communities, our landscapes and our wildlife.”

Read next:

York Outer MP Luke Charters also welcomed the government’s temporary ban on disposable barbecues, saying: “We’ve seen first-hand in York and North Yorkshire just how quickly fires can spread when the ground is this dry.

“Just over a year ago we had the huge fire on Strensall Common, and more recently we saw a field fire come worryingly close to homes in the south of York.

Luke Charters, MP for York Outer (Image: Supplied)

“We also saw the devastating fire on the North York Moors, which investigators found was started by cooking with a naked flame.

“So while the weather remains this hot and dry, temporarily stopping the sale of disposable BBQs is a sensible step to help keep people and our countryside safe.

“Of course people should get outside and enjoy the summer. This is simply about using a bit of common sense while the risk is so high, because nobody wants to see another serious fire.”