Where to set up my smoker

You'll need a digital dual probe therm with alarms to accurately check the smoker temp and the other for food. So if an alarm goes off go check your smoker. I'd use that area for your smoker if someone is home throughout the smoke.
-Kurt

The MES units have over-temp sensors built into the back wall of the smoker. They are set to disconnect the element at roughly 305*F. The over- temp switch will self reset., so there is some safety factor built in should you have a flareup.

The smoker body does get warm but it doesn't get hotter than a electric space heater. 

I have mine on the back porch. When I use it I pull it forward to leave a 10-12 inch space behind the smoker. I haven't melted any siding or set anything on fire so far.

I've wondered about this too. I have a MES30 Gen1, the body seems to simply get warm during use, even at 275F. I don't worry about it igniting anything during normal use, I currently have it on my deck.

My only concern is, if something went wrong (it caught fire for whatever reason, either an electrical problem, or a serious food flare-up), it could potentially make my deck catch on fire.

My deck is 1 floor off the ground. So I can either have it on my deck, or put it on the gravel area under the deck. If it's on the deck, it's easily visible right outside the kitchen window, which is nice for keeping an eye on it periodically, especially if something weird happened. If I put it under the deck, it's not on anything flammable, but I have to go outside and down a flight of stairs to check on it, so most of the time I'd be "flying blind", and unaware if things were starting to go wrong. And then it's still under something.

I'm not sure if smoke-stains are part of why they say not to put the smoker under something? The vent has already gotten kinda gunked up with smoke residue. So if it was near a wall/ceiling, maybe it would leave marks on things, even during normal use?

If I tried an overnight smoke, or certainly if using it when we're not home, I think my preference would be to move it out into the yard. Even if it caught fire, it would then seem quite unlikely to damage anything else. At least if I'm home, if it started to overheat or catch on fire, the wireless thermometer probe for the smoker's temperature should hopefully give an early warning that something was wrong.

My MES 30 Gen 1 has sat on its stand about 3 feet from the back door on my cement deck for a few years now. The deck is covered over and the overhead is about 5 feet above the top of the MES. There is NO smoke staining on the vinyl siding above or beside the smoker.

I just set the transmitter for my Maverick therm on the top of the smoker and it never even gets warm.

Being that close to the screen door and open windows in the kitchen and dining room we do get a nice waft of smoke inside on occasion, but luckily Miss Linda enjoys that as much as I do. LOL

I'd include a picture but I'm working out of town since the beginning of June and won't be getting home for a couple more months.

Gary