People in Laois urged to ‘avoid sparking disaster’ by lighting BBQs in heatwave

People in Laois have been warned about the dangers of lighting barbecues during the heatwave.

The county has been scorched in recent weeks by high temperatures, with Met Éireann issuing a Status Yellow warning for Laois and neighbouring counties such as Carlow, Kilkenny, Offaly and Tipperary as well as Wexford, Cork, Limerick and Waterford.

The weather warning comes to an end this Friday evening, July 17. However, the high temperatures are set to persist throughout the weekend in Laois.

Laois County Council and Laois County Fire & Rescue Service have advised people to take extra care during the weekend when it comes to preventing wildfires.

The county’s fire service has urged people to never light fires or barbecues in the countryside as it could start a fire.

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“It only takes one stray spark or discarded glass bottle to cause a devastating fire that can cause danger to life, wildlife and our natural habitats,” the fire service shared on social media.

“Avoid sparking disaster and leave the BBQ at home, all it takes is one spark to threaten life, wildlife and our natural habitats.”

The fire service reiterated the importance of taking extra care in the countryside during the heatwave, sharing an image of a fire in the Laois countryside.

Earlier this week, Laois County Fire & Rescue Service issued a status orange warning for high fire risk amid the high temperatures. That warning was due to end this Friday, July 17 but it has now been extended to midday on Monday, July 30.