Call to introduce disposable barbecue ban to protect nature

It comes after a series of devastating fires during the year – including a blaze in April which came within yards of houses at Canford Heath and took more than a hundred fire service staff to bring under control.

Others have broken out on common land throughout the area, at Studland, and on cliffs behind seaside beach huts near Boscombe Pier.

Many incidents believed to have been caused by disposable barbecues or camp fires – each putting residents and fire fighters at risk.

The call for the use of public spaces protection orders, came from Canford Heath councillor Sandra Moore, who said the orders were already in place in the Dorset Council area.

“If they can do it, so can we,” she told the place overview and scrutiny committee.

Cllr Sandra Moore

The meeting heard of combined plans to reduce the risk of wildfires, with more than a hundred in the BCP Council area this year.

These included an extensive education programme in schools from the fire service and Urban Heaths Partnership and physical methods such as creating fire breaks and reducing gorse and shrubs close to homes.

Regular patrols are also held around ‘at risk’ areas.

The meeting was also told that evacuation plans are in place for the islands in Poole Harbour and a new evacuation plan was being prepared for the Hengistbury Head area, all part of the BCP Council wildfire response plan, which councillors at the committee backed.

• Read more: Third Canford Heath Fire: 'Human intervention' cause of blaze

Questions were raised at the meeting about ‘fire boxes’ which contained fire beaters and other equipment close to areas prone to fires, available for the public to use. Councillors were told that some had been removed where a risk assessment suggested that allowing untrained people to tackle fire could lead to a greater risk to life.

Cllr Moore praised the response to the fire at Canford Heath and called for the public spaces protection orders to be introduced as soon as possible, which she said would give greater power in stopping open fires and disposable barbecues on designated areas.

Fire at Canford Heath earlier this year. Picture: Matt Hicks

Vice chairman Cllr Bob Lawton said that the increase in heath fires has been “worrying and concerning” and said MPs needed to be lobbied to take action over national legislation.

• Read more: Beach and cliff fires reported in Bournemouth over weekend

“One day, God forbid, someone might lose their life through a heathland fire," Cllr Lawton said.

“We can lobby, but we need the evidence to lobby MPs."

The meeting was told that an area-wide plan was already in preparation for public spaces protection orders following a review of problems caused during the last two summers from floods of visitors coming into the area, many camping on beaches and other public open spaces, often lighting fires and being careless about disposing of their barbecues.