Fire chief tells Brits 'go to the pub' amid disposable barbecue warning as wildfires rage

Fire chief tells Brits 'go to the pub' amid disposable barbecue warning as wildfires rage As a wildfire in Suffolk rages to the size of the equivalent of 140 football pitches, fire services elsewhere in the country are taking steps to prevent further blazes Brits have been told to go to the pub by fire chiefs following fears people planning to use disposable barbecues could ignite more wildfires on drought-stricken ground. Shaun Milton, group manager of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, anticipates his crews will have dealt with up to 1,000 fires by the end of the summer, as temperatures are again expected to threaten 40C. With little or no significant rain for several days now, more than half of the country is on official drought, and a wildfire raging in Suffolk has today grown in size to the equivalent of 140 football pitches. In a bid to prevent further blazes from igniting until temperatures cool, Mr Milton has urged Brits to go to the pub instead of setting alight disposable barbecues. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Milton said he has seen the number of wildfire incidents increase in Wiltshure during his 20 years on the job. He added that most of the fires he's seen have been produced by some level of human intervention, intentionally or not. Among key causes of the annual blazes, he added, are people lighting bonfires to dispose of their waste, leading the chief to warn people against enjoying the classic Brit pasttime of disposable barbecuing. He said: "We're seeing it with bonfires where, rather than taking their waste to a recycling centre, [people are] maybe having a bonfire, which obviously is far from ideal at this time of year. People going out to enjoy the beautiful countryside we have here [are] taking disposable barbecues; I'd certainly challenge anybody to say whether they've ever had a good meal from a disposable barbecue. I'd certainly suggest, rather than doing that, go to some of the local pubs or restaurants, or bring a picnic instead." The fire boss advised anyone desperate to have a barbecue should have one at home, and with precautions. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has released general advice for would-be barbecuers, telling them that any at-home outside cooking should be done well clear of fences, sheds, trees and dried vegetation. Unfortunately for many Britons, much of the country is currently dried vegetation, with the Environment Agency anouncing on Wednesday that half of England is in official drought. Today, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that it was likely the country would see the highest number of heat-related deaths on record. A new report from the agency estimates up to 2,877 people died during the heatwaves of May and June from heat-related causes, split between an estimated 753 deaths during the former month, and 2,124 in the latter. An earlier, separate analysis by Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine projected 2,700 excess deaths for the two periods – and warned that two fifths of those deaths were due to the extra heat caused by climate change. Half of England, as well as around half of Wales, is now officially in drought, despite a very wet winter, as an extremely dry July compounded a dry spring, and the successive heatwaves have put pressure on water resources. And though temperatures are cooling off into the weekend with drizzle expected, forecasters do not believe any precipitation will be enough needed to make up for the current shortfall. The Suffolk wildfire, which ignited on Dunwich Heath and has spread rapidly, has forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes, accommodation and businesses. One couple, on holiday from Southampton, told how they had to quickly evacuate their family-owned static caravan with their two young sons in their pyjamas with such haste they forgot to bring the children’s shoes. The boys mum, who did not want to named, said: “It was scary. We just kind of grabbed them and left. They’re still in their pyjamas - no shoes. We first saw the smoke at around 7pm while eating our dinner. It very quickly with the change of wind took a very different direction." “I’d say we were quite lucky because we were actually at one of the furthest points, but we could definitely smell it. As soon as we left the caravan we were straight out into the smoke. “We came here [to the village hall] And a couple asked us ‘would you like to stay at ours?’ They’ve said we can stay again tonight. We’re due to be on holiday here until Saturday. We’re hoping we can get back in at some stage. It’s a really lovely community, they have been amazing.” Around 18 fire engines are understood to have been deployed to the area to tackle the blaze, which emergency responders could continue to burn for another 48 hours despite their exhaustive efforts.