Safe Grilling

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Roy Lynch
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Annually, a fire department responds to over 7,900 home fires involving grills. Outdoor grilling is one of the most popular ways to cook food, but when used improperly can cause harm.

"Complacency is the root of most barbecue accidents or fires," said Master Sgt. Thomas Gervais, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron assistant chief of fire prevention. "After doing something like grilling so many times without incident, people tend to get lax on the safety protocols and precautions they would normally take."

Propane and charcoal barbecue grills should only be used outdoors. The grill should be placed well away from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and over-hanging branches.

"One of the most important safety tips for grilling at Kunsan is location, location, location," said Tech. Sgt. Faith Fix, 8th Fighter Wing ground safety. "Grills, open or enclosed flame pits need to be operated more than 10 feet from a building and 50 feet from flammable storage."

After finding a proper location, never leave your grill unattended while it is lit.

"Always have someone present with the grill, or flame pit, while it is burning or smoldering," said Sergeant Fix. "Someone should stay with the grill until the fire is completely out. If the grill tips over, that person would be able to extinguish the flames immediately."

Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill. If you use a starter fluid, use only charcoal starter fluid. Never add charcoal fluid or any other flammable liquids to the fire.

"You want to keep grills and open flames as far away from flammable storage areas as possible," Sergeant Fix said.

When you are finished grilling, let the coals completely cool before disposing of them in a metal container.

"A smoldering grill should be treated the same as if it had flames," she said.

The National Fire Protection Association has additional information on grill safety.

"The NFPA has videos and pamphlets that cover grilling safety topics," said Sergeant Fix. "Also, Google 'grilling safety' to find a plethora of information."

Summer fun would not be complete without having a barbecue, but not being safe when barbecuing could end in an unhappy summer.

"No matter how routine the barbecue or task this summer, make sure that fire prevention techniques are used and safety is practiced every time to prevent damage to property, injury or death to our fellow Airmen," said Sergeant Gervais.