The land is dry, and the people are ...stupid?

No, I think it is symptomatic of the attitude that some people seem to have now that everything has to revolve around them - even something like a barbecue which, in the grand scheme of things, matters very little. As you say, with the way things are at the moment, anything which can be done to minimise the risk of fires has to be a good thing.

I suppose this is why the alert message yesterday was necessary.
The fire and rescue service must have known that people will talk themselves out of taking precautions that do not suit them, and wanted the Govt. to make things clear to everybody.

It isn’t backyard barbecues that are dangerous, just the awful disposable ones which often result in wildfires and also people getting burned.
Most fires are started deliberately but we can also do without those caused by discarded BBQ’s as well.

The land is dry and the people are stupid…sounds a bit biblical.

We are BBQ’ing this evening.

We have a gas BBQ, it is situated on our patio away from fences, shrubbery and trees. Just as safe as cooking in the kitchen.

I am more concerned about the smokers flicking their cigarettes out of car windows, or the idiots who leave bottles on verges or beside bins which can concentrate the heat and ignite whatever is nearby.

(No burnt sausages or co-op burgers here by the way)

They should also ban the use of portable barbecues for the same time as these used on picnics and camping trips could easily cause a fire.

Open fire of any sort has been banned at our country park and all other local parks since the beginning of July.

All BBQ's have been banned on the holiday park where we are GrannyGravy.

I would have thought anything we can do to minimise the risk is worthwhile. Or am I being over dramatic?

My neighbour, with whom I get on with very well, is rather fanatical about keeping his block-paved driveway clear of weeds. To that end, he has a weed burner. At certain points his driveway abuts my large front lawn. There are shrubs under my front window adjoining the lawn. I park my old petrol car on the drive next to the lawn. Next to that is my beloved 150 year old oak tree which is a magnet for wildlife.

I was sitting in my living room reading, with the windows wide open, when I could hear the intermittent whooshing sound and smell from the burner. I went outside to find him burning off what weeds have managed to survive in this heat. I noticed orange sparks smouldering at the edge of my bone-dry lawn over an area of about 30 cm x 20 cm.

By this time he had moved to a different part of his drive and had his back to where the sparks were glowing. I stamped them out and got a bucket of water to throw over them.

He apologised profusely and said he hadn’t been thinking.

Meantime, I was thinking what if I hadn’t noticed what he was doing? What if I has been busy somewhere else in the house? What if those sparks had caught? What if the fire had quickly spread across my lawn to the shrubs under the window and flames had caught the curtains at my open windows? What if my car had caught light causing a petrol explosion? What if my old oak tree and all the life it sustains had been destroyed?

It isn’t only BBQs or cigarette discarders we need to worry about but anyone with a flame.

I think bbqs have been banned since the beginning of the summer here

What is wrong with meeting up for a picnic? Rather than a bbq? Or youngsters just getting a McDonald’s or similar and taking their rubbish home?

Disposable bbqs are quite limiting anyway

I live in NW London and apparently clowns were setting off fireworks. I suppose the advice doesn't affect them, only others. No harm was done, but that is not the point and I think they were lucky.