There’s nothing quite like cooking out in the summer time. Burgers, steak, even vegetables taste great with grill marks.
And while most people worry about burning their food, it’s important to take precaution to avoid burning your house as well.
“We get a few a year where it’s a significant fire where we have to actually pull a line off a rig and put the fire out,” said Naperville Fire Bureau Chief Scott Salela. “Some of them can be put out with an extinguisher or garden hose but at least two or three times a summer we get a significant grill fire that will affect the house.”
Chief Salela said most grill fire incidents occur in single-family homes due to stricter rules on outdoor grills in condos and multiple family houses.
Keeping your grill at least ten feet away from your home is the easiest way to avoid an accident. Regularly changing the grease tray is another.
“A lot of the fires start from a grease fire – a build up of the grease in there,” said Salela. “Also don’t leave it unattended. When you’re cooking you should be out here and keep an eye on it. Several of the fires we’ve had have been unattended grilling. People put something on and then they go back in the house.”
If you’re using a charcoal grill, it’s important to keep the grill cover off when adding starter fluid to avoid gas buildup. And never add starter fluid to a fire that is already blazing.
Roughly half the injuries involving grills are thermal burns and Chief Salela added that the best way to treat them is to simply run some cool water over the affected area.
For additional tips on safe grilling visit Keeping You Safe – Grilling.
Good tips to guarantee great grills.
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.
