Spike in barbecue blazes in Portsmouth prompts safety warning

Firefighters in Portsmouth were called to several blazes across Portsmouth, Southsea and Milton – all sparked due to poorly-disposed-of barbecues.

Danny Manns, crew manager at Southsea Fire Station, was on duty and attended three of the blazes on Sunday evening. Although nothing was seriously damaged and nobody injured, he warned easily-avoidable barbecue fires can have potentially devastating consequences.

‘The potential for damage can be quite big,’ he said. ‘The fire could be in a bin up against a building or shed that can then spread.

‘So the risk can be quite high.

‘Sunday was a prime example – all the ones we went to were of barbecues being disposed of incorrectly.’

He added: ‘It’s a real drain on our resources.’

The fire service is urging people to make sure the coals are cool before moving and disposing of a barbecue and never to cook while under the influence of alcohol.

Ashes should be disposed of safely and never dumped in dustbins and a bucket of water should always be available in case of emergency.