All up in your grill about safety!

6/18/2019 (Permalink)

Back yard campfire

All Up in Your Grill About Safety

The crackling sound of a campfire, the smell of hot dogs on the grill, marshmallows turning into little fireballs on a skewer… all of these are things that make summer fantastic.  If you are planning on spending summer indulging in one of these classic activities, it is a good idea to be aware of campfire/grill safety. Whether you are using a propane grill, a charcoal grill or a campfire, there are some basic safety guidelines that the whole family should be educated on to protect themselves and their homes.

For the grillers (that’s you, dad):

1. If you are using a grill be sure that it isn’t defective in any way.
2. For propane, check the tank before use to make sure it isn’t damaged.
3. When using a charcoal grill, let the starter fluid soak into the coals for a minute before igniting them to allow the explosive vapors time to dissipate.
4. If you are grilling using an electric grill, never use lighter fluid or other combustible materials.
5. Do not use grills close to the house where it has the potential to catch the structure on fire

For all of the campers and s’mores connoisseurs out there, here are a few campfire safety tips that will help keep you, your families and our forests safe:

1. Never build a campfire somewhere that it could easily spread. Steer clear of areas with large amounts of dead leaves and dry brush
2. Do not keep flammables around the campfire. This includes lighter fluid and gasoline
3. Keep the campfire to a size that is easy to control. Do not build one so large that it will get out of hand and spread
4. Keep water or a shovel or both nearby so that the campfire can be extinguished if needed
5. Keep tents and sleeping bags a safe distance from the fire
6. Be sure that everyone at the campfire knows to stop, drop, and roll if an article of their clothing catches fire
7. Extinguish correctly when leaving the fire (here is a great resource that demonstrates how to properly extinguish a fire https://www.smokeybear.com/en/prevention-how-tos/campfire-safety/how-to-maintain-and-extinguish-your-campfire)