Brixham Fire Station calls for disposable barbecue ban after bin lorry fire in Devon

Firefighters are calling for a ban on disposable barbecues after one set a bin lorry alight in Devon on Sunday (August 7).

Crews from Brixham and Paignton fire stations were called out to reports of the lorry being on fire, after it had collected rubbish from a bin at Breakwater Beach.

Crews battled the blaze with jets of water, as the back of the lorry smoked.

Brixham fire station released a Twitter statement, revealing that disposable barbecues have caused ‘multiple call outs’ across Devon and Somerset.

It said: "This morning Brixham and Paignton fire crews were called to reports of a bin lorry on fire. Once in attendance, crews quickly got to work to extinguish the fire.

“The cause of the fire was a disposable barbecue, which had just been collected from a bin at Breakwater Beach.

“Please be mindful that disposable barbecues have caused multiple call outs in the last 24 hours across Devon & Somerset, tying up valuable resources." They added.

Last week, London’s fire commissioner Andy Roe warned that a ‘nationwide ban’ on the sale of disposable barbecues was necessary.

He said disposable barbecues “can be bought for as little as £5 and can cause untold damage, especially when the grass is as dry as it has been over the last few weeks”.

Marks and Spencer (M&S), Waitrose, Aldi and other retailers have recently announced that they would no longer stock disposable barbecues due to their detrimental impact on the environment and wildlife.

Home Office data shows "about 4% of accidental primary fires can be robustly linked to barbecue use.”

The proposed ban would be implemented to ease pressures on fire services across the country, including those In the South West.

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