Are you BBQ Season Ready? Safety First - Tips on how to have a safe BBQ season

5/10/2017 (Permalink)

Long Island BBQ Fail

Summer is calling for delicious BBQ sessions. BBQ is indeed our summer tradition as well as a great pastime. However, it can also be accompanied by a major risk of fire. You would be surprised to know summer BBQs are the source of a number causalities every year.  United States Fire Administration estimated that every year, outside grills cause over 6,000 fires, more than 5 fatalities & 170 injuries, with at least $35 million in property damage and loss. In this article, we have come up with a few tips on how to prep your home for safety and to prevent fires due to summer BBQs. These tips have been proposed in the light of preventive measures issued by the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

1. Distance between Home & the Grill

The farther this distance, the better. Generally, a 10 feet distance is advised to be kept between your grill and home. This takes into an account the home sections such as porches, garages, and carports. Avoid wooden overhangs for grills since the fire can flare up in the structure. This is applied to gas as well as charcoal grills.

2. BBQ Grill Cleaning

Grills must be cleaned on a regular basis. Without proper cleaning, fat and grease may accumulate all over the grill, providing fuel for the fire. Keep in mind that grease is the major cause of flare-ups and burnt steaks!

3. Examine gas leaks

Always keep a close eye on gas leaks. If you are using a gas grill to BBQ, make sure there aren’t any leads in the tank, hose or burner. You can do this by rubbing your grill’s hoses and joints with a solution containing liquid dish soap and water in 1:1 ratio. Then open the grill lid and the turn gas on. Any bubbling will indicate the location of any potential leaks. Since gas leaks can easily catch a fire, it’s imperative that you replace any faulty parts, such as; hoses, valves, burners, joints or the entire grill itself. And NO, DUCT TAPE WON’T FIX THE LEAK. ;)

4. Place a fire extinguisher nearby

A high-quality fire extinguisher is a helpful tool for handling emergency fire situations. Every household must keep at least one or two fire extinguishers on hand. In one of our previous posts, we explained how to make sure your fire extinguishers are ready for operation. If you are still not sure how to properly use a fire extinguisher, call SERVPRO of East Meadow / Westbury, Long Island’s leading home emergency restoration services provider, right away. Firefighters have reported that many fire casualties are the result of people trying to extinguish fires on their own, rather than calling 911 right away.   

5. Keep furniture and decorations away

Watch your furniture and accessories. It is better to keep all of these at a significant distance from the grill. Decorations and accessories such as pillows, umbrellas, hanging baskets look great but they are also fuel for a fire. In addition, today’s décor is cheaply made from synthetic fiber, which can ignite much faster.

6. Water Spray bottle

Keeping a handy spray water bottle with your grill can help tackling minor flare ups and prevents them turning into a larger fire. As soon as you see any flare up, you can instantly tame it with a quick spray of water. It helps tame pesky children as well!  The great thing is that water doesn’t spoil your delicious food, so you can use it without any fear of ruining your dinner.

Along with these tips to follow, keep in mind some of the don’ts to prevent summer BBQ fires, like don’t turn the gas on while the lid is open, don’t leave your grill unattended, don’t overload grill with food and never use grills indoor.

In the case of any fire, water or mold emergency on Long Island or for expert consultation, contact the pros at SERVPRO of East Meadow / Westbury 365/24/7.