BBQ Campaign

Bring A Picnic Not A BBQ is a campaign to remind people that BBQs are illegal on heathlands.

​The Dorset Heaths Partnership (DHP), Litter Free Dorset (LFD) and Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) have been working together to campaign to prevent wildfire.

Heathlands, unfortunately, are often misused, and incidents of wildfire – whether deliberate or accidental – are becoming more common. On average, Dorset is subject to 107 heathland and forest wildfires a year, previously a high proportion of these have been attributed to a heathland barbecue gone wrong.

In 2025, Dorset Council issued Extended Public Spaces Protection Orders which prohibit the lighting of fires – including barbecues – on areas of open land across large parts of Dorset. In light of this, Litter Free Dorset and Dorset Council issued a joint letter to local retailers, including supermarket chains, urging them to stop selling single-use barbecues, which pose a serious threat to public safety and the natural environment. There’s been some success, but each year we need to continue this work.

Wildfire incidents are increasing due to hotter temperatures, stronger winds and more extreme weather events. These factors don’t start the fires, but they do exacerbate them. People start the fires, whether intentionally or not, through campfires and BBQs, and any naked flame. In 2025 there were 108 recorded incidents of fire which effected 44 different areas of heath and burnt a total area of over 284.14 hectares. Already this year, there have been numerous heathland fires across Dorset.

If you’d like to help, you can ask your local retailer to stop selling disposable BBQs by downloading this letter to give to them. Let us know how you get on!