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NFPA
urges grilling fire safety
As grilling season approaches, remember
recipes for fire safety
 April
20, 2010 – The National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is reminding
outdoor cooks not to forget about grill fire safety
as the peak months for grill fires arrive. People
with gas grills should take extra precautions. In
2003-2006, gas-fueled grills were involved in 81 percent
of reported home grill fires and were involved in
6,400 home fires, including structure and outside
fires. The lead ing cause of gas grill fires was a
leak or break in hoses.
“Nobody wants to see their backyard
barbeque go up in flames,” said Lorraine Carli, vice
president of communications for NFPA. “There are simple
measures that can be taken to avoid charring dinner
and setting anything on fire.”
Although gas grills are used approximately
one-and-a-half times more often than charcoal grills,
they were involved in five times as many fires. Charcoal
or other solid-fueled grills were involved in 1,300,
or 16 percent, of home grill fires. The leading cause
of these fires was something that could burn being
located too close to the grill.
In 2007, approximately 9,600 people
went to hospital emergency rooms because of thermal
burns caused by grills. About one-third of the burns
from gas grills happened while lighting the grill.
Gasoline or lighter fluid was involved in roughly
one-quarter of charcoal or wood grill burns. Children
under five accounted for roughly one-quarter of thermal
grill burns. Most of these burns occurred when the
child bumped or touched the grill.
NFPA offers the following grill safety
tips:
- Use propane and charcoal grills
in outdoor areas only.
- Make sure the grill is located
well away from the home, deck railings and out from
under eaves and overhanging branches.
- Keep children and pets away from
the grill area: declare a three foot “kid-free zone”
around the grill.
- Use long-handled grilling tools
to give plenty of clearance from heat and flames.
- Remove grease or fat build up from
the grills and in trays below the grill so it cannot
ignite.
- Never leave the grill unattended.
Gas grills:
- Check the gas tank hose for leaks
before using it for the first time each year by
applying a light soap and water solution to the
hose. If there is a propane leak, it will release
bubbles. If you do find a leak and there is no flame,
do the following:
- Turn off the gas tank and grill.
- If the leak stops, have the
grill serviced by a professional before using
it again.
- If it does not stop, call
the fire department.
- If you smell gas at any point while
cooking, get away from the grill immediately and
call the fire department.
- Use only equipment with the label
of a recognized testing laboratory. Follow the manufacturer’s
instructions on how to set up the grill and maintain
it.
- Never store propane gas tanks in
buildings or garages. If you store a gas grill inside
during the winter, disconnect the cylinder and leave
it outside.
Charcoal grills:
- If you use a “charcoal chimney”
to start charcoal for cooking, use a long match
to avoid burning your fingers when lighting the
paper.
- If you use starter fluid, only
use charcoal starter fluid and never add charcoal
fluid when coals or kindling have already been ignited.
- Never use gasoline or any other
flammable liquid to get the fire going.
- Keep charcoal fluid away from children
and heat sources.
- When you are finished grilling,
let the coals cool completely before disposing of
them in a metal container.
For more safety tips, videos, facts
and figures, and audio clips, please visit www.nfpa.org/grilling.
NFPA has been a worldwide leader in
providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety
to the public since 1896. The mission of the international
nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide
burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of
life by providing and advocating consensus codes and
standards, research, training, and education. 
Article from the National
Fire Protection Association
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