Fire crews across Cornwall are urging residents and visitors to stop lighting bonfires, barbecues and other open fires after recent gorse and grass blazes and a sharp increase in emergency calls. The Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said it had received a "high volume" of 999 calls since Saturday evening and warned that current conditions make it easier for fires to spread quickly and become difficult to control.
Multiple incidents prompt renewed warning
Crew movements over the weekend included teams from Perranporth, St Just and St Ives attending a deliberate fire that destroyed about 25 square metres of gorse at Madron, near Penzance. Crews from Truro and Tolvaddon also tackled a grass and gorse fire at Tregavethan on Saturday.
In Devon, Braunton fire station reported an incident in which a passer-by discovered a hot disposable barbecue thrown into a bin at Croyde. The person managed to put it out with water and sand before firefighters arrived, but crews used the episode to emphasise how quickly a small spark can become a major emergency when vegetation and weather conditions are unfavourable.
- Madron (near Penzance): about 25 sq m of gorse destroyed, thought to be deliberate
- Tregavethan: grass and gorse fire attended by Truro and Tolvaddon crews
- Croyde (Devon): hot disposable barbecue placed in a bin, extinguished by a passer-by
Fire service advice and national alert
The Cornwall service repeated national guidance asking people to "avoid carrying out controlled burns" and said it would not be able to respond to reports of neighbours having barbecues, bonfires or campfires in their gardens unless there was an emergency. It added it "would strongly advise against having bonfires, fireworks, campfires or disposable BBQs during this period" because such activities could put homes and neighbouring properties at risk.
"It's hot, it's incredibly dry and emergency services are already busy. Something as simple as a hot BBQ thrown into a bin can quickly become another completely avoidable emergency."
The government issued a nationwide wildfire emergency alert to millions of mobile phones last week, warning against "any activity that could start a fire" and describing the situation as a "very high risk of wildfires nationally." In response, some retailers have temporarily suspended the sale of disposable barbecues amid fears they pose a significant public risk during drought and heatwave conditions.
Practical consequences for residents and visitors
For residents and visitors in Cornwall the renewed warning has several practical implications. Fire crews’ reduced capacity to respond to non-emergency reports means community reliance on personal vigilance is greater than usual. The advice from emergency services effectively limits garden and recreational activities that involve open flames and heat sources until conditions improve.
| Issue | Implication |
|---|---|
| High call volumes | Fire service capacity stretched; fewer non-emergency responses |
| Dry, hot conditions | Increased risk of rapid fire spread across gorse, grass and scrub |
| Disposable barbecues | Temporarily banned by some sellers; high risk if improperly discarded |
Local authorities and fire services are urging people to report real emergencies via 999 and to take simple precautions to reduce the risk of igniting fires. Those precautions include refraining from controlled burns, not using disposable barbecues in open or wooded areas, carefully disposing of smoking materials and avoiding fireworks until conditions become wetter and less windy.
As Cornwall moves through a prolonged dry spell, the message from firefighters is clear: small, everyday actions can either prevent an emergency or trigger one. Given recent incidents, crews are asking the public to "stop and think" before lighting anything that could spark a blaze.
