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

That's Mumsnet for you. Some decent responsible posters. But quite a few munters who think the world revolves around them

I love a barbeque. Ours is charcoal fired and I don't think that anyone can predict where a spark might fly under such dry conditions, so we havn't had one. Much as we would have enjoyed it.
Our fire officers have been working so hard, I wouln't want to risk putting them in any more danger.
They requested the alarm, and I don't blame them.

I posted this on the other thread, but I think that was the wrong place, sorry for the repeat.

GrannyGravy13

BlueBelle

I m being black and white over this I believe the state we are in, countrywide, there should be NO bbqs at all, full stop, of course we can live happily without them, they are far from a necessity and can be a danger however careful you think you are.

There is a total ban on the sale of disposable BBQ’s.

There is a ban on BBQ’s in parks, and fields etc., our council banned all open fire in its parks etc., at the beginning of July.

There is not a ban on BBQ’ing in one’s garden.

I don’t think posters have grasped that last fact GrannyGravy
We have a lovely new gas barbecue, and we have a yard not a garden there is no grass or anything to set fire to and our neighbours have the same.
Add to that we have never ever had a problem.
The Fire Service has advice but barbecuing carefully in your own garden isn’t on the verboten list.
As to those who don’t like the smell of a barbecue, too bad.

On the hottest day last week some idiots were setting off fireworks in the evening. Unbelievable!

This is why I rarely look at Facebook. It's full of completely entitled idiots.
They don't care if they kill thousands of wild animals, burn fields and woods to the ground or even if people's homes go up in smoke... They want what they believe is their entitlement.

Locally 2 bonfires have got out of control requiring the fire service they have been widely reported in local paper yet my next door neighbour has today lit his third bonfire in as many weeks very close to our adjoining hedge! Unbelievable!!! I spoke to him the last time and pointed out how it only takes one small spark and the hedges and fields would burn not to mention both our houses. I was very tempted to phone the fire service but he is my only neighbour. Fire still glowing, I can see this through the hedge.

Oreo

GrannyGravy13

BlueBelle

I m being black and white over this I believe the state we are in, countrywide, there should be NO bbqs at all, full stop, of course we can live happily without them, they are far from a necessity and can be a danger however careful you think you are.

There is a total ban on the sale of disposable BBQ’s.

There is a ban on BBQ’s in parks, and fields etc., our council banned all open fire in its parks etc., at the beginning of July.

There is not a ban on BBQ’ing in one’s garden.

I don’t think posters have grasped that last fact GrannyGravy
We have a lovely new gas barbecue, and we have a yard not a garden there is no grass or anything to set fire to and our neighbours have the same.
Add to that we have never ever had a problem.
The Fire Service has advice but barbecuing carefully in your own garden isn’t on the verboten list.
As to those who don’t like the smell of a barbecue, too bad.

I don’t think posters have grasped that last fact GrannyGravy

I'm well aware there's no ban - and if you're well away from sheds, fences, overhanging trees, foliage, etc... then yes, it's your right to have one. I know gas BBQs are safe, we had one also.

Regional fire services have asked the public to completely "give BBQs a miss" and avoid any form of outdoor fire, including garden bonfires and fire pits (well, obviously) until significant rainfall dampens the ground. They've stressed that avoiding outdoor burning is an act of community responsibility.

That was my 'beef'... the mindset - one I gave another example of.

After the national alert, I was aware that I could smell smoke - not from BBQs, just smoke. I'd been aware of it for a few hours, assumed it was 'legitimate' but then I decided to call the non-emergency Police number and was re-assured that it wasn't my imagination and that, in fact, the smoke was real, had been detected by many other residents in the town - and it was from a fire raging some 50 miles away. That concentrates your mind somewhat.

I would point out though that - according to the Fire Service, gas BBQs are not entirely safe, it's to do with 'fat flares/ambient heat' and 'radiant heat' from the grill body... but I don't want to make this post any longer than it already is.

I agree with you about the smell from actual BBQs. I'm not keen on it, however my late OH enjoyed grilling - it's really only a minor inconvenience and the smell soon evaporates. Other people can enjoy things that I don't, so in the spirit of 'community' I accept it.

saintpiran

Charleygirl5
I think you will find the fireworks were let off bythe Pakistani community to celebrate independence from Britain. Lots to think about here, not least the fact that we had just been warned about the dangers of barbecues etc. I thought there were laws against fireworks after midnight, but government gave approval, so that's alright then.

Is this really the case? That they were given permission? That they set off fireworks to celebrate their independence from Britain, whilst living in Britain, and during a drought and fire risk? What the heck is wrong with this country and why are people permitted to behave in this way?

Dreadwitch

This is why I rarely look at Facebook. It's full of completely entitled idiots.
They don't care if they kill thousands of wild animals, burn fields and woods to the ground or even if people's homes go up in smoke... They want what they believe is their entitlement.

Facebook is now a cesspit of AI-slop, conspiracy theories (often poorly articulated), unappealing and often aggressive 'content creators', and lots of seemingly angry people.

If you accidentally click on something that you're not interested in Facebook's algorithm will then assume the opposite and fill your feed with more of the same and you have to constantly adjust your preferences.

I use it now only to keep up with my foreign ex-work colleagues' lives, but we're all reaching the age where we post less frequently - though we have checked in more during the heatwave and since the fires have been raging on mainland Europe.

Mark Zuckerberg has radically shifted Meta's 'operational philosophy' after a dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago... there are no longer 3rd-party moderators. It's a veritable free-for-all.

I don't like eating outside at all at the moment,too hot and too many insects( thanks to our 'wildlife garden')
I wouldn't want to risk any more fires, it's been terrible for those affected.

Unfortunately it is not just mindless idiots who cause fires. It also seems to be some very intelligent people on here who think they know it all. Why not just be a responsible citizen and do as you have been asked. Is it really that difficult to forgo your outdoor bbq to give your neighbours piece of mind.

saintpiran

Charleygirl5
I think you will find the fireworks were let off bythe Pakistani community to celebrate independence from Britain. Lots to think about here, not least the fact that we had just been warned about the dangers of barbecues etc. I thought there were laws against fireworks after midnight, but government gave approval, so that's alright then.

Can you please show a link to the government approval for this, I can’t find anything?

2507C0

saintpiran

Charleygirl5
I think you will find the fireworks were let off bythe Pakistani community to celebrate independence from Britain. Lots to think about here, not least the fact that we had just been warned about the dangers of barbecues etc. I thought there were laws against fireworks after midnight, but government gave approval, so that's alright then.

Is this really the case? That they were given permission? That they set off fireworks to celebrate their independence from Britain, whilst living in Britain, and during a drought and fire risk? What the heck is wrong with this country and why are people permitted to behave in this way?

Apart from the idiocy of fireworks just now have these people really not thought through the irony of independence from Britain?😄

Oreo

Apart from the idiocy of fireworks just now have these people really not thought through the irony of independence from Britain?

I get the internal logic of this - but if celebrating independence from Britain is viewed as an act of hostility, then the thousands of US citizens celebrating here on 4th July could be regarded as an insult; from what I can gather, it's either met with benign indifference or an event that you can join in with. Former colonies become allies... we have diplomatic and Commonwealth ties with Pakistan. But who gave approval for the fireworks is definitely a concern, as is the fact that Pakistanis themselves didn't see fit not to use them.

Surely few Americans live here, maybe over here for work purposes?

Crumbly159

And - 400 years on from the Gunpowder Plot - there's absolutely no reason for fireworks. For any occasion.

There is currently a Government firework consultation running until 7th October if anyone wants to participate.
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fireworks-and-pyrotechnics-in-the-uk

The land is dry and the people are stupid.

How true, just reading this thread is confirmation of that, people throwing cigarettes, setting off fireworks, having barbeques and bonfires, all in bone dry conditions when it's so obviously highly dangerous.

Then apart from the idiots, we have crazy arsonists who like starting fires. One wonders whether it becomes an epidemic, just mention fires on the news and they get excited at the thought of starting one themselves. The workings of the human mind are beyond our understanding.

The post regarding the Pakistani community has no factual basis I can find, saintpirin? Sounds like social media stirring to me.
How quickly some jump on a bandwagon.

Oreo

Surely few Americans live here, maybe over here for work purposes?

I had to research it...

Data from the (ONS) and the UK Census indicates that roughly 170,000 to 230,000 Americans reside in the UK at any given time. Alongside thousands of corporate expats, military personnel, and students.

I had a relative living in Cambridgeshire and he once mentioned how many Americans were living around that area - he'd taken part on one occasion in one of the random, local, 4th July events. That's what prompted me to mention this.

And yes, even without researching the numbers, I know there are significantly more Pakistanis than Americans living here at any one time - but do the numbers matter more than the principle?

ordinarygirl

personally I think BBQs are all about what the owner wants and there is no consideration for neighbours. Who really wants to smell burning flesh ? I always think it must be similar to the smell that people coming from concentration camps during WW2 . We all seem to accept that smoking should be banned as the smell is awful so why is there a need to cook outside and infiltrate all of the neighbouring houses ?

Some of us quite like the smell of burning meat - bacon, Sunday roast, chops and some barbecues.

Less enthusiastic about the smell of cooked meat from takeaways where the meat is of the cheapest and from animals that have not been bred to high welfare standards. The smell reflects the source

Nandalot

We had a near miss on our village last afternoon/ evening. Someone had a bonfire which caught surrounding area. Fortunately, the fire team were there quickly.

So very lucky that you have the option of a responsive fire crew. All our local crews are working around the clock for the 10th day trying to put out a fire that has got into the underlying peat - it could take months to finalise.

We had crews from 4 stations, many are volunteers, when some silly kids left vapes in a field right by the rail line and set fire to a crop field. It is not a simple job to put out a fire - there is ongoing watch and damp down to make sure it will not re-ignite.

The poor folks in Stourbridge have lost everything

Jaxjacky

saintpiran

Charleygirl5
I think you will find the fireworks were let off bythe Pakistani community to celebrate independence from Britain. Lots to think about here, not least the fact that we had just been warned about the dangers of barbecues etc. I thought there were laws against fireworks after midnight, but government gave approval, so that's alright then.

Can you please show a link to the government approval for this, I can’t find anything?

1.

There was no 'government given approval". Just googled every which way.
The police did not intervene, you'll have to ask the police why not "the government"

As for the post that said "oh I think it was an illegal family" with no evidence whatsoever, well thats just a nasty little creep of racism on a perfectly ordinary thread about bans. Given that members of long term Brits are doing just that.

I also believe that if there is a ban on all BBQ's yes even ones shiny new gas one because some are irresponsible we should obey that. It's been requested for good reasons. "Oh but I'm different" doesnt hack it, imo.

2507C0

saintpiran

Charleygirl5
I think you will find the fireworks were let off bythe Pakistani community to celebrate independence from Britain. Lots to think about here, not least the fact that we had just been warned about the dangers of barbecues etc. I thought there were laws against fireworks after midnight, but government gave approval, so that's alright then.

Is this really the case? That they were given permission? That they set off fireworks to celebrate their independence from Britain, whilst living in Britain, and during a drought and fire risk? What the heck is wrong with this country and why are people permitted to behave in this way?

saintpiran
Charleygirl5
I think you will find the fireworks were let off bythe Pakistani community to celebrate independence from Britain. Lots to think about here, not least the fact that we had just been warned about the dangers of barbecues etc. I thought there were laws against fireworks after midnight, but government gave approval, so that's alright then

... "but government gave approval, so that's alright then"...

This just adds in a lazy and less-than-subtle way to the implied 'two-tier' policing narrative under a Labour government, and it just stokes anger and division.

I can't sleep because it's still hot here and the smoke from a wildfire some 50-odd miles away is lingering and seems to have found its way into my house and taken up residence... so I thought I'd check out this ridiculous claim. As if ANY government would give "approval" for fireworks in the street having just agreed to a national alert request from the Fire Service.

This is Google AI's take:
Thousands gathered on Ilford Lane (East London) and Southall Broadway (West London) on 14 August 2026 to celebrate Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day.
Redbridge Local Council issued an official notice stating clearly that "no fireworks are to be brought to or let off on Ilford Lane" to ensure public safety and protect local businesses.
Despite the explicit ban and a heavy police presence, viral footage shows that a few individuals illegally set off fireworks in the middle of the crowded streets anyway. This resulted in minor public order confrontations with the Met Police.

... seems like every demographic/group/diaspora has its self-entitled idiots, along with stupid teen-age boys mindlessly following a Tik-Tok 'challenge'.

So 2507C0 - no, they were not given permission, quite the contrary, and I hope they will - along with those that deliberately started fires - be punished for it.

Wyllow3
There isn’t a ban on all barbecues. The misinformation goes on and on.

I do believe that Wyllow wrote
'if there is a ban'.
It is a small word, 'if', and easily overlooked when you are reading quickly.
Wyllow was not spreading misinformation.