Barbecue blazes expected to rise
Friday, 25 May 2012 10:11 AM
By Phil Scullion Follow philscullion
A busy summer of sport paired with nice weather (hopefully!) means a lot of summer barbecue parties.
But such sizzling events can carry a risk of overdoing it. One in four admits that they will be drunk every time they take charge of the charcoal, which is a substantial fire risk.
Janet Connor, MORE TH>N managing director, said: "For many, firing up the barbecue is a symbol that summer has finally arrived and with the UK's sketchy weather it's no surprise that we want to make the most of these outdoor occasions by enjoying a few drinks. However, as this research shows, it doesn't take much for a pleasant barbecue to turn into a smoky disaster.
"With this summer offering more barbecue and booze opportunities than ever before, we are urging people to be more responsible when in charge of the grill. After all, just a few small acts of mindfulness will go a long way to ensuring it's only the sausages, and not the shed, that gets sizzled this summer."
The European Football Championships, Diamond Jubilee and Olympics are a great excuse to get friends round and cook up a storm, but fire services are warning that gardens can be a hive of flammability.
Gazebos, wooden furniture, sheds and trees are all liable to go up in flames and 900,000 garden fires are predicted this summer, compared to the 1.5 million which have reduced gardens to cinders over the last two years.
The title of 'head barbecue chef' often falls to men, who are responsible for 80 per cent of incidents at an average of £383 worth of damage to property. Despite being in the minority women average £525 damage.
Those in the South West are the least likely to cause a fire, while 38 per cent of those from the East Midlands admitted to barbecuing under the influence.
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