Bank holiday BBQ warning as insurer records claims jump
Households are being warned to take care around barbecues over the upcoming bank holiday weekend as an insurance giant has recorded a huge increase in claims for fire damage.
Home insurance claims for fire damage increased by 38 per cent year-on-year, when comparing May and June 2019 with May and June in 2020, according to Aviva's own figures.
The uplift is thought to be largely due to people having barbecues at home and burning rubbish in their gardens during the first UK lockdown.
Flames from fire pits, which have become a fashionable garden accessory in recent years, can also get out of control.
With May 31 being a bank holiday, Aviva is urging households to take care. Its records from last year show garden fire damage varied from a few hundred poundsworth to six-figure sums.
In many cases, fires started in a neighbouring garden and blew over into the next door property. Pay-outs for domestic fire claims settled in 2020 were around £21,000 on average, Aviva said.
Dave Lovely, claims director, general insurance at Aviva, said: "As people get together with friends and family over the long weekend, there's every chance that barbecues will be popular again this year.
"However, with fire comes risk, and unfortunately last year we saw a huge increase in claims in May and June when bonfires and barbecues had gone wrong.
"Problems can occur when fires and barbecues are situated too close to sheds, fences and buildings and this is something we often see through our claims. Another common cause is when people have disposed of embers while they're still too hot and they've gone on to set a bin alight and caused a bigger blaze.
"Fire pits have also grown in popularity in recent years, and while they're great for keeping warm on those cooler days, we've seen several examples where flames have got out of hand.
"There are a few simple steps people can take to minimise their risks, so we'd urge people to play it safe if barbecues and bonfires are on the menu." Aviva urged people using barbecues never to leave them unattended and to dispose of ashes carefully," he added.