UK fire services respond to over 3,900 barbecue incidents since 2022
Iain Hoey
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Emergency services respond to over 6,400 barbecue incidents across UK
Safety Group UK has reported that emergency services responded to 6,451 barbecue-related incidents across the UK over a three-year period, resulting in 78 injuries or fatalities and 309 hospital admissions.
According to data provided through a Freedom of Information request, fire services recorded 3,983 barbecue-related fires since 2022.
Despite the scale of response, only 67 fines were issued by councils and 35 arrests made by police forces.
The figures were released alongside new polling, which found that 51.7 per cent of UK adults plan to host or attend a barbecue this summer.
Tom Richmond, Group Operations Director of Safety Group UK, said: “These figures show a gap between the scale of BBQ-related emergencies and enforcement action.”
Fire service response varies by region
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service recorded 627 barbecue-related fires, the highest number of any UK fire authority.
London Fire Brigade followed with 332 fire incidents and reported the highest number of casualties, with 17 injuries or fatalities.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service reported 277 barbecue fires, with seven casualties.
South Wales Fire & Rescue Service recorded 255 fires, with no casualties reported, while Kent Fire and Rescue Service reported 168 fires and four casualties.
Tom Richmond said: “The data indicates some regions, particularly Scotland and tourist destinations like Brighton and Dorset, have much higher numbers of incidents. This implies seasonal trends and outdoor activity areas need specific safety campaigns and enforcement efforts.”
Police enforcement shows regional inconsistency
Cambridgeshire Constabulary recorded the highest number of barbecue-related police incidents, with 493 reports but no arrests.
Dorset Police followed with 475 reports and also recorded zero arrests.
North Wales Police reported 360 incidents and made seven arrests.
North Yorkshire Police had a lower number of incidents, 32, but had the highest arrest rate at 18.8 per cent.
Northumbria Police and Northamptonshire Police reported 91 and 172 incidents respectively, with eight and six arrests.
The data suggests enforcement practices differ across jurisdictions, potentially influenced by local bylaws or public space protection orders.
Council fines concentrated in limited areas
Brighton and Hove City Council issued 37 fines, more than all other councils combined.
Richmond upon Thames Borough Council issued 15 fines, and Wandsworth Borough Council issued seven.
Brent Borough Council and New Forest District Council issued five and three fines respectively.
Out of more than 300 UK councils, only five reported taking enforcement action for barbecue-related offences.
According to Safety Group UK, 273 councils issued no fines despite emergency services attending thousands of incidents over the same period.
NHS and ambulance data reveal injury clusters
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust recorded the highest number of admissions with 49 patients treated for barbecue-related injuries.
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust followed with 46 admissions.
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust reported 43 admissions, while Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust recorded 39.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust responded to 147 barbecue-related call-outs, accounting for 92 per cent of the total ambulance responses reported.
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust reported nine call-outs, and Northern Ireland Ambulance Service recorded four.
Safety Group UK noted that variations in reporting methods may explain the disparity, with some trusts potentially classifying barbecue-related cases under broader categories.
Polling and public safety concerns for summer 2025
Safety Group UK’s survey found that over half of UK adults intend to host or attend a barbecue during the 2025 summer season.
The organisation said that the combination of increased outdoor cooking and minimal enforcement could place further strain on emergency services.
Richmond said: “When emergency services are responding to thousands of incidents, yet only 67 fines are issued nationally, it suggests either a lack of necessary powers or not enough resources for enforcement.”
He added: “It’s clear that barbecue safety is a public safety concern.”
A case study from Harlow, Essex, detailed the experience of Alfie Preater, who suffered a serious foot burn at the age of four after stepping on a hot barbecue lid, illustrating the lingering hazards even after the fire is out.
UK fire services respond to over 3,900 barbecue incidents since 2022: Summary
Safety Group UK reported that fire services responded to 3,983 barbecue-related incidents since 2022.
The data also included 309 hospital admissions and 160 ambulance call-outs related to barbecue injuries.
Police recorded 1,949 barbecue-related incidents during the same period.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary reported 493 police incidents, the highest among UK forces.
Brighton and Hove City Council issued 37 of the 67 total fines reported nationwide.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service recorded the highest number of fires, with 627 incidents and eight casualties.
London Fire Brigade reported 332 incidents and the highest number of casualties at 17.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust recorded 147 of the 160 total call-outs.
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust had the most admissions, with 49 patients.
Over 50 per cent of UK adults plan to attend or host a barbecue in summer 2025.