Disposable barbecues have caused bin fires in Espoo
Careless use of disposable barbecues causes dozens of fires each year. Entire Molok Deep Collection containers have burned in Espoo, because hot coals or disposable barbecues were placed in them before they were properly extinguished. The price of replacing a container is roughly 3,000 euros.
Do not throw a hot disposable barbecue or charcoal into a bin. You can throw out a disposable barbecue or charcoal in a waste container only after you have carefully extinguished it with plenty of water and it has cooled down completely. A burning waste container can cause a wildfire, and the fire can also spread to adjacent buildings.
It can take hours for a disposable barbecue to cool down to a temperature where it can be safely thrown in a waste bin, even after the coals have stopped glowing visibly. Even if you put out the fire with water or sand, the barbecue will not cool down immediately, so leave plenty of time for it to cool down. Use a disposable barbecue only on a non-flammable surface, as its bottom heats up during use and poses a fire hazard.
Remember that disposable barbecues and charcoal barbecues are considered as open fire. You must have the landowner’s permission to use a barbecue. For example, you are not allowed to make a fire in the city except at official campfire sites. In areas owned by the City of Espoo, you can find official campfire sites only in city-owned forests. The organisers of public events in the summer must take the risks of barbecuing into account as part of the event’s rescue plan and instruct the audience on safety matters in advance.