Protect your home from fires resources

Barbecues, bonfires and flying lanterns

During warmer weather, more people spend time outdoors enjoying barbecues, clearing gardens, and marking celebrations.

While these activities can be enjoyable, they also bring increased risks of fire, injury, and environmental harm.

Follow this guidance to keep your household, your community, and our countryside safe.

Barbecue safety advice

Barbecues are a great way to make the most of the sunshine and enjoy time with family and friends. But outdoor cooking must always be done safely to prevent accidents and fires.

Top tips include:

  • Never leave a barbecue unattended, especially with children or pets nearby.
  • Only use barbecues outdoors, in open areas away from sheds, fences, trees, shrubs, or garden waste.
  • Avoid using barbecues or campfires in the countryside, where fire can quickly spread.
  • Use proper barbecue fuels – never use petrol, white spirit, or other accelerants.
  • Keep a bucket of water or sand nearby in case of emergencies.
  • Drink responsibly if you're in charge of the barbecue.
  • Let the barbecue cool completely before moving or disposing of it.
  • Keep children, pets, and garden games well clear of the cooking area.
  • Use an electric or gas barbecue if possible as they are easier to switch off in an emergency.

We strongly advise against disposable barbecues, but if you do choose to use one:

  • Place it on a flat, non-flammable surface like bricks, paving slabs, or concrete.
  • Position it well away from buildings, fences, and plants.
  • Never place it on dry grass or plastic items.
  • Never use during a drought or dry season.
  • Let it cool for several hours before disposal.
  • To be extra safe, pour water over it to ensure it is fully extinguished.

Bonfires safety advice

Bonfires may seem like a convenient way to dispose of garden waste, but they carry serious risks and legal implications. This is because:

  • Bonfires can spread rapidly and get out of control.
  • Toxic smoke may harm your health and cause a nuisance to neighbours.
  • Burning waste contributes to environmental pollution.
  • Burning certain materials is illegal and can result in a fine.

We strongly recommend against bonfires and would recommend you take your waste to a household waste recycling centre, or subscribe to our garden waste service - it’s safer, cleaner, and better for the environment. 

If however, you are going to have a bonfire, we recommend you:

  • Speak to neighbours beforehand to avoid disputes.
  • Choose a safe location away from sheds, fences, trees, vegetation, bins, and overhead cables.
  • Never use accelerants such as oil, petrol, methylated spirits, or paraffin.
  • Supervise the fire at all times and keep water or a hosepipe close by.
  • Do not burn plastics, foam, rubber, or painted/treated wood, chipboard, plywood, or items containing chemicals, batteries or containers with flammable substances
  • Keep children and pets well away from the fire.

Flying lanterns

Flying or sky lanterns are sometimes used for celebrations, but they pose serious risks to people, property, animals, and the environment because:

  • Their uncontrolled flight paths can ignite hedges, crops, trees, or thatched roofs.
  • They can injure or kill livestock if ingested or if animals come into contact with the wires.
  • Even biodegradable lanterns create visual pollution and can take time to decompose.
  • Lanterns are often mistaken for distress flares or fires, leading to unnecessary emergency response.

We strongly recommend against using flying or sky lanterns.

Stay protected