BBQ warning from Northants Fire & Rescue
A long dry spell means there's a risk in our county parks.
The dry hot weather has lead Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue to warn about BBQs in our country parks.
The dry spell means an increased risk of fires, with Natural England's Fire Severity Index Map showing a Very High risk across the county currently.
Despite the thunderstorm warning in the week, there's been a prolonged dry spell this year with areas of the UK from the South West to Scotland and Wales have seen wild fires already this year.
Darren Carson - a Prevention Team Leader at the county's fire service has this advice;
"Please don't have a barbeque in an open space like a country park, so our local authority partners are with us on this.
"Don't have a barbeque out in the open especially with the weather being how it is, really warm, because the fire risk is really really high."
Darren has this advice:
"Think about where you set your barbeque up, please don't put it too near a fence or a tree or anything like that.
Never leave the barbeque unattended, that's really really important, especially if you have young children running around as well."
How to barbecue safely
- Never leave a barbecue unattended
- Follow the safety instructions provided with disposable barbecues
- Make sure your barbecue is well away from sheds, fences, trees, shrubs or garden waste
- Use enough charcoal to cover the base of the barbecue, but not more
- Keep children, pets and garden games away from the cooking area
- After cooking, make sure the barbecue is cool before moving it
- Empty ashes onto bare garden soil, not into dustbins or wheelie bins
- Enjoy yourself, but don’t drink too much alcohol if you are in charge of the barbecue
- Never use a barbecue indoors because of the amount of Carbon Monoxide (CO) gas they emit
- Never store gas cylinders under the stairs
- When using a gas barbecue, remember to turn the gas supply off first and then the barbecue control
Be carbon monoxide aware
Never use disposable barbecues, camping stoves, camping heaters, lanterns, or charcoal grills or disposable barbecues inside as using these indoors can cause CO poisoning
Fumes can still be present many hours after you have used them – levels high enough to result in CO poisoning
Opening tent flaps, doors or windows is insufficient to prevent the build-up of CO concentrations from these devices