London Fire Brigade

Authority

Official guidance

Territories

GB

Primacy

primary

Commercial interest

none

Retrieved

2026-08-13

State

Read and citable

Original document

A statutory fire and rescue authority, and the source that lets BBQHQ answer the balcony question — one of the most-asked and least-answered questions in UK barbecuing — with something better than an opinion. Gives explicit instructions on balconies, decking, siting away from sheds and fences, never leaving a barbecue unattended, and the carbon monoxide risk from smouldering ash after cooking. Note that this is REGIONAL operational guidance from one fire authority; it is held as GB rather than international precisely because fire regulation and local park byelaws are not global.

Safety, Technical

• Explicitly not culinary practice: A fire authority is authoritative on fire, and says nothing about cooking.
• Explicitly not equipment specification: General fire advice about barbecues is not a specification of any particular appliance.

• “Don't use a BBQ on a balcony. Flames, sparks and hot embers can cause a fire and spread quickly to other parts of the building.”

  London Fire Brigade instructs that a barbecue must not be used on a balcony, because flames, sparks and hot embers can start a fire that spreads quickly to other parts of the building.

  Where it applies:

  A London fire authority. The reasoning is general but the instruction is regional operational guidance, not global law.

  Why it happens:

  The hazard is spread to the building, not to the cook.

  What it covers:

  Stated for barbecues generally, without distinguishing fuel type.

• “Position your BBQ on level ground (not decking) and keep it well away from anything that may catch fire such as sheds, fences or trees.”

  London Fire Brigade instructs positioning a barbecue on level ground and not on decking, well away from anything that may catch fire such as sheds, fences or trees, and never leaving it unattended.

  Decking is named explicitly as a surface to avoid, not merely as an example.

  Where it applies:

  London, as regional operational guidance.

• “After cooking, let it cool and make sure it is properly out – smouldering ashes can give off dangerous carbon monoxide fumes and can be fatal.”

  London Fire Brigade instructs letting a barbecue cool and making sure it is properly out after cooking, warning that smouldering ashes give off dangerous carbon monoxide fumes and can be fatal.

  An independent authority reaching the same conclusion as the Public Health Agency by a different route — a fire service rather than a public-health body.

• “Never light a barbecue in an enclosed space and don't use accelerants to get it going.”

  London Fire Brigade instructs never lighting a barbecue in an enclosed space and not using accelerants to get it going, and notes that many of London's parks and open spaces have banned disposable barbecues because they cause grass fires in hot weather.

  The disposable-barbecue ban is a local byelaw matter, explicitly London's parks. Recorded as an example of regional regulation, not a universal rule.

• A barbecue continues to produce carbon monoxide as it cools. A barbecue that is no longer flaming is still lethal in an enclosed space.
• London Fire Brigade instructs that a barbecue must not be used on a balcony, because flames, sparks and hot embers can start a fire that spreads quickly through the building.
• A barbecue should stand on level ground and not on decking, well clear of sheds, fences and trees, and must never be left unattended while lit.
• Coals and ash must be fully extinguished and cold before disposal or storage. Smouldering ashes give off carbon monoxide and remain a fire risk for hours after cooking has finished.
• A barbecue must never be lit in an enclosed space, and accelerants must not be used to get it going. Many London parks and open spaces have banned disposable barbecues because of grass-fire risk in hot weather.

If this source changes, these are the claims that need rechecking. That is the point of recording provenance per claim rather than per page.