NOTICE: Barbeque Grilling a Major Factor in Home and Apartment Fires and How to Avoid Them

3/3/2020 (Permalink)

Let's Keep the Fire on the Grill

Barbeque grills are a leading cause of fires according to the National Fire Protection Association. Typically these fires are more likely to happen on balconies and porches of apartment blocks however it is also necessary to know the safety precautions if you barbeque at your home.

How Do I Avoid Starting a BBQ Fire?

• Keep the grill a minimum of 15 feet away from any over hang. This is to ensure that smoke can escape freely and also minimises the risk of any heat being trapped and potentially starting a fire.
• Store the grill a minimum of 5 feet away from all over hangs. It is most likely easiest to keep the barbeque at the same location (15 feet away).
• Someone must be at the grill at all times. Fires can happen so fast and if someone is even sitting down a few feet away, that can be enough time for the fire to get out of control.
• If it's a propane tank: never have this inside your building, home or apartment. This includes storing.

What happens if a fires breaks loose?

A common mistake people do is throw water directly onto the grill. This is more dangerous than safe. When water is thrown onto a hot grill it creates steam and this steam can cause up to third degree burns instantly. Steam is worse than fire.

For this reason it is important that you attempt to turn off the gas or electricity source immediately. This will cut the energy supply to the fire and hopefully be enough to stop the grill fire. But only do this if it is safe to do so. 

Remove everyone from the area immediately. You and your families safety is the key importance.

Please Take This Seriously

We urge you to be alert and proactive with these safety precautions every time you grill your barbeque. It is hard for us to see when we have to conduct fire restoration on families homes.

We hope that you have found this helpful.

From the team at SERVPRO of Wood, Ritchie & Pleasants Counties