***Grilling Smoking & Fire Safety Tips***

[SmokinAl]

I have an extinguisher in the kitchen, and one outside on the patio.

Al

 

[fwismoker]

Well would you look at that. I just ordered a pair on Amazon for $25. These are made for incipient stage fires, so I would still have a backup extinguisher that could handle something larger.

Dang big words I had to lookup! lol   I knew what you meant but have never heard that word before.  ha

Yea I think those could handle a grill grease fire if you catch it before it gets to an inferno. lol

 

[dcarch]

Also, your local building code may have regulations for outdoor grills.

If your house fire is caused by a non-compliant grill, good luck with your insurance claim.

dcarch

 

[phatbac]

I think the main thing is to use common sense and don't panic if you have a flare up. and it wouldn't hurt to do a safety minded inspection on your set up and surrounding areas.

I had a situation about 6 weeks ago where i i was getting my smoker (Black Betty) up to 425 degree in the cook chamber to steam cleaner (use a garden hose) well the fire in the firebox got bigger than i meant and it got about 550 in the cook chamber and the residual grease there ignited  and i had a grease fire in my cook chamber. It was a raging fire so i kept my cool and closed the cook chamber door and closed the dampers on the firebox and the firebox door and starved the fire from oxygen.  I let it cool down a few hundred degrees and spray it out for steam cleaning. i am more careful how big a fire i build now. i had a fire extinguisher (ABC) ready just in case but luckily for me i didn't have to use it.

Please everyone get a fire extinguisher and.be safe when cooking. This hobby is a lot of fun but lets do it without loss of limb or property!

Happy and Safe Smoking,

phatbac (Aaron)

 

[dirtsailor2003]

If you use a propane smoker and it goes out make sure that you turn off the gas before opening the door. Allow the gas to dissipate prior to re-lighting it.

 

[fwismoker]

Definitely a wealth of knowledge and wisdom on here. Lots of good info and common themes. 

Prevention is the key but it's sure good to know what to do and have the right equipment on hand if one does occur.  

 

[myownidaho]

Dang big words I had to lookup! lol   I knew what you meant but have never heard that word before.  ha

Yea I think those could handle a grill grease fire if you catch it before it gets to an inferno. lol

Lol! Every now and then, some of those fancy words I learned in the academy in the late 80s come in handy. [emoji]128512[/emoji]

 

[fwismoker]

Definitely a wealth of knowledge and wisdom on here. 

Lol! Every now and then, some of those fancy words I learned in the academy in the late 80s come in handy. [emoji]128512[/emoji]

One of those words you might be able to pull out 2 or 3 times per decade. 

Lol! Every now and then, some of those fancy words I learned in the academy in the late 80s come in handy. [emoji]128512[/emoji]

What academy...AF, Naval, Police?

 

[myownidaho]

Definitely a wealth of knowledge and wisdom on here. 
One of those words you might be able to pull out 2 or 3 times per decade. 
What academy...AF, Naval, Police?

Fire academy. I spent 30 years riding fire engines and ambulances.

 

[fwismoker]

Fire academy. I spent 30 years riding fire engines and ambulances.

Ah I didn't think of Fire Academy.  I went to fire school in the Navy.  You get a fire on a submarine it better get put out quick!

 

[krj]

Threads a couple months old now, but the thought of a fire extinguisher brought me lookin. I've decided to build a table to inset my weber kettle, my pbc, have a pull out propane burner for easy(I'm always out of newspaper) charcoal chimney lighting, plus having some room to store a couple bags of charcoal and the odds and ends that I have. I'm not so worried about the heat of the kettle or pbc catching my table on fire, but it dawned on me that maybe I should have a fire extinguisher figured into this plan. I'll likely end up with a dedicated propane grill at some point, so what type of extinguisher do you lot recommend? I'd prefer it if the extinguisher was located somewhere on my new table, which means that it will be outside in the vastly varying elements of Kansas.

 

[phatbac]

I recommend a fire extinguisher that handle grease fires. Electrical and grease if you own an electrical smoker.  ABC rated is what i have and it was around $20 on amazon. 

Safe Smoking,

phatbac (Aaron)

 

[krj]

Is an ABC type going to withstand the freezing temperatures of winter? That's really my biggest concern. Also, what kind of cleanup would be necessary after using an ABC type on a grill/smoker.

 

[pit 4 brains]

 
"---1) Do keep a charged fire extinguisher near your cooking equipment----"

There are different fire extinguisher types for different kinds of fire.

dcarch

But not too close. Extinguishers should be located along an escape route and away from the potential fuel source. If there was an extinguisher near the fires pictured, I doubt anyone would hang around to use it. If it were 15-20 ft. or more away, you stand a better chance of getting yourself safely away from the fire while being able to fight it if it is safe to do so..

Just for gee whiz, I checked out some of the ABC extinguishers we have around the hangar. Some say to "start 8 feet back" and some say 10 feet. So that's a good reason enough to keep them a decent distance away..

 

[bluewhisper]

I have an ABC extinguisher mounted on a wall in the garage, halfway between the door to the kitchen and the door to the patio where the grills are. Since I'm burning sticks in an offset, I stand little chance of a runaway fire, but of course a kitchen brings its own risks. I run the smoker on concrete, either on an open slab behind the garage, or on the covered patio if it's raining.

I've seen pics of damage to vinyl siding when a smoker was too close to a wall. There was no fire but it was still an expensive mistake.

 

[Tydeorum]

Good info. I know this is old, but I it's right in subject for me.
I had a grease fire start this morning, nothing was lost and it was put out easy enough. I have a masterbuilt propane smoker. This is my first I have used it. I believe it was because I didn't use a good enough drip tray under the pork butts that allowed it to over flow and catch fire. I plan on running a deeper water water try and adding a 2" hotel pan above the water tray. If fix this problem, should I have any more worries about a grease fire?

 

[gmc2003]

Just keep your stereo close by:

Sorry I forgot you can't post outside links. But look up sonic fire extinguishers and
see what a couple of kids invented. They used base sounds to extinguish fire.
Chris

 

[mcokevin]

I would be curious what the percentage is of folks that BBQ, smoke or otherwise cook on their deck- wood, composite, or otherwise combustible material. How many will admit to burn marks from embers on their decks or anything else around?

One of my first smokes I lit my chimney on my patio. It's cement, so no lasting damage but it sure discolored the paint and caused some serious blistering. Easy to chip away and re-paint, but good lesson. Now if I need to light on the patio (due to rain) I put a brick paver on top of the patio to use.