Please don’t call 999 about your BBQ, Cornwall fire crews say

You’re at the kitchen window with a glass of squash, watching smoke drift over the fence from next door’s disposable barbecue. It’s tempting to reach for the phone. Cornwall’s firefighters would rather you didn’t.

Why Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is asking people to stop calling

The service has had a high volume of 999 calls over the weekend about barbecues, bonfires and campfires. Fire chiefs say they understand why people are concerned, but every one of those calls ties up a Fire Control operator who may be needed by someone in real danger.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is asking the public to keep 999 for genuine emergencies only, so the line stays clear for the calls that matter most.

📷Credit: Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service

What to avoid while it’s this hot and dry

With the current hot, dry conditions across the county, the advice is straightforward. Avoid bonfires, campfires, fireworks and disposable barbecues altogether. Fire can spread quickly in ground this parched, and it doesn’t take much for a garden mishap to put a home, or a neighbour’s, at risk.

If you’re worried, only dial 999 for an emergency

The message from Cornwall Council and the fire service is simple: 999 is for emergencies. If you’re not sure whether what you’re seeing counts as one, that uncertainty is exactly why Fire Control needs its lines kept free, so the team can get to the calls where someone genuinely is in danger.

Avoid bonfires, campfires, fireworks and disposable BBQs while the hot, dry spell continues, and save 999 for when it really is one.