'People will ignore it in a real emergency': Andy Burnham's BBQ phone alert sparks chaos as 999 is swamped with calls and Tories accuse PM of 'prime ministerial posturing'

By GLEN OWEN and MARK HOOKHAM, ASSISTANT EDITOR (INVESTIGATIONS) Published: 22:04, 15 August 2026 | Updated: 22:28, 15 August 2026 Andy Burnham has been accused of 'prime ministerial posturing' for authorising an emergency mobile phone alert which led to panicked Britons jamming 999 lines and startled drivers swerving across motorways. Sirens blared out unexpectedly on millions of mobile phones across the country at 7pm on Friday, warning the public against lighting anything that could cause a wildfire, such as barbecues, firepits and fireworks. But the Tories, who devised the system more than a decade ago, said the alert was only intended to be used in cases where there was an imminent, direct and mainly localised threat to life.  A Cabinet Office report explicitly warned against its use for 'lower level' incidents for fear of creating a 'cry wolf' effect, in which phone users either disabled or ignored the alert in cases of genuine emergency. A Conservative source said: 'It was designed for terrorist attacks, not to tell people how to cook their sausages.' Emergency services were inundated with 999 calls after the alert went out, including from those reporting their neighbours for having barbecues in their gardens. It also caused chaos on the roads, with spooked motorists veering across carriageways as they attempted to check their phones. Frustrated cinema-goers and broadcasters added to the complaints about the disruption, while there was confusion across Wales after the alert was sent out in Welsh – despite only a quarter of the country speaking it. The alert was sent to mobile phones across the country at 7pm warning against lighting anything that could spark a wildfire, including barbecues, campfires, and fireworks Prime Minister Andy Burnham (centre) walks with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker (right) as he talks to Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill (left) during a visit to Stourbridge yesterday afternoon Millions of people received this alert last night as people were warned not to light anything that could spark a fire Some residents received the message four times – twice in Welsh and twice in English. According to the Cabinet Office report on mobile alerts, drawn up by the Coalition Government in 2014, the system was devised for cases such as chemical spills and bomb explosions, or extreme weather events where there was an immediate and direct risk to life. The report said: 'Responders agreed that the system would lose its impact if it was used too regularly... It should not be used too frequently and only for the most serious of emergencies, or recipients may become complacent.' It also expressed concern about 'the potential impact of miscommunication through distorted information and lack of action due to miscommunication, for example a 'cry wolf' scenario'. Mr Burnham said on Friday: 'This evening, an emergency alert has been sent to people across England and Wales as the wildfire risk remains very high. 'The request came directly from fire and rescue services... During this period of extreme heat, I'm asking everyone to take extra care. 'Please do not light any fires in gardens, the countryside or other open spaces, including parks, moorland and wooded areas.' But Alex Burghart MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: 'The emergency alert system was designed to warn people of immediate dangers and risks, not for prime ministerial posturing. 'The Government has an important role in giving advice on fire safety, but spamming every phone in the country and causing chaos is not the way to do it. 'Friday's alert cheapened the emergency alert system and will have led to a chunk of the population turning off the notifications, making the system less effective when there is a genuine emergency. 'Labour must urgently come clean about who signed off the decision to use it and what criteria they used.' Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had 'been inundated with 999 calls that are not emergencies' and urged residents to 'help us keep our lines available for those who need urgent assistance'. The blaze in Stourbridge forced some people to flee after it started tearing through homes Around 100 firefighters tackled the inferno which broke out near Stourbridge golf course Your browser does not support iframes. Meanwhile in Surrey, the fire service urged people only to call 999 'if there is an emergency or a fire producing significant smoke'. It said: 'We understand residents may be concerned, but we are unable to respond to reports of neighbours having barbecues, bonfires or campfires in their gardens unless there is an emergency.' Amy Fenton, a journalist in Lancashire, reported how drivers on the M61 slammed on their brakes when the alarm sounded. One woman swerved across three lanes while an elderly man pulled over onto the hard shoulder near Chorley, she said. Ashkan Kalashy was driving on a single carriageway in west Wales with his two sisters and nephew when the alert went off as he was making a sharp turn. 'I almost lost control of the car,' he told the MoS. 'If I wasn't more careful I might have crashed. 'Three phones were going off at different times – and during the first time in unison. It sounded like Armageddon was happening.' Stephen Pollard, a former editor of the Jewish Chronicle, who was driving when the alert sounded, said: 'I wasn't able to pull over and so wasn't able to see what was causing a noise so loud it made me nearly crash with the shock. 'What a ludicrous use of the national alert system.' Edmund King, president of the AA, said that motorists should only look at messages if they have found a 'safe and legal place to pull over'. Former Treasury adviser James Gillespie, who was watching a horror film in a cinema in Central London when a wave of the alerts went off, said: 'I don't think there is any good reason to be sending repeated alerts about wildfires to every iPhone in Central London. 'I've lived until recently in California where they have regular natural hazards and I've never experienced anything like this where it is so repetitive. 'If the aim was to devalue the system and encourage people to opt out of emergency alerts, this was absolutely the way to do it. Mr Burnham has been accused of 'prime ministerial posturing' for authorising an emergency mobile phone alert which led to panicked Britons jamming 999 lines and startled drivers swerving across motorways When the first message arrived – in Welsh – English-speaking drinkers in The Picture House pub in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, desperately tried to find Welsh speakers who could translate it for them. Retired photographer Richard Williams, 77, said: 'We all knew it was a serious warning, but about what? A natural disaster? A terrorist attack?' The blaring alarm also interrupted several live TV shows, including a Sky Sports News broadcast about football transfers. Farcically, just hours after the alert sounded, a huge fireworks display was held at Wembley Stadium during a performance by Canadian singer The Weeknd. The stadium said the display was a 'controlled performance' and a team of fire safety experts was on site for every event.