Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is urging the public to think twice about the necessity of burning their waste and, instead, to dispose of their rubbish responsibly at local authority waste disposal sites.
Key Safety Advice
If it is essential to burn your rubbish and garden waste in a bonfire, then please follow these simple rules that are advocated by the National Fire Chiefs Council:
- Firstly, is it necessary?
- If it is necessary, then bonfires should be sited well away from buildings, fences, trees and
- garden buildings and structures.
- If possible, the burning of garden rubbish should take place within a garden incinerator. The garden incinerator should be placed on an even and non-combustible surface, such as a patio slab.
- DO NOT use flammable liquids or accelerants to start the bonfire.
- The bonfire should always be supervised.
- A means to control the bonfire should be at hand e.g. a garden hose.
- Always check local laws/bylaws to check you comply.
- In the event of an emergency, you should always call 999.
Be a good neighbour
- When burning anything in your garden please consider the effect the smoke may have on you neighbours.
- Smoke from your fire may force people to close windows and prevent them from cooling their homes. People with breathing difficulties and respiratory disorders often suffer more in hot conditions and the smoke from a fire may make their condition worse.
- If your neighbours have washing out, please let them know of your intentions to have a fire so that they have an opportunity to gather it in before you start burning.
- Be willing to extinguish your fire. If a neighbour is being affected by your fire please don’t take it personally. The considerate thing to do would be to extinguish the fire and relieve their discomfort.