Outdoor Grilling Safety Tips from the East Meadow Fire District

With the warm weather already here, many residents have begun heading to the backyard and using their outdoor grills for cooking tasty foods for their families and guests. While outdoor grilling is a popular pastime, it also increases the risk of fires and injuries.

Fire safety officials report that across the U.S., fire departments respond to nearly 9,000 home fires involving outdoor cooking equipment every year, including 3,900 structure fires and 4,900 outside or unclassified fires. In addition, experts note that many grill injuries reported are from thermal burns.

The East Meadow Fire District’s Board of Fire Commissioners wants everyone to enjoy a fun and delicious outdoor grilling experience and offers barbecue safety tips.

Outdoor grilling safety tips from your East Meadow Fire District Board of Commissioners:

• All grills (propane, natural gas, charcoal, or wood) should only be used outdoors.
• If you smell propane or natural gas while cooking, immediately close the valve if you can do so safely, turn off the home’s electricity, stay away from the grill, and call the EMFD at 516-542-0576.
• Nassau County law requires that all grills are to be placed at least six feet away from the house or a similar structure like a shed, deck, or garage.
• Keep grills away from deck railings, and do not use them under eaves or on porches.
• Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grill when used.
• Ensure that the trays under the grill are free of grease and fat to avoid a grease fire.
• Never leave the grill unattended while it’s on.
• Make sure the cover is open before lighting a natural gas or propane grill.
• If you use starter fluid for a charcoal grill, use only starter fluid explicitly made for charcoal, and never add any other flammable liquid, such as gasoline or kerosene.
• When finished grilling with charcoal or wood, let the embers cool completely before disposing of them in a metal container.

In case of a barbecue fire, turn off the burners (for a natural gas or propane grill) or close the grill lid (for a charcoal grill), and do not attempt to extinguish the fire yourself; instead, call the East Meadow Fire Department’s emergency number 516-542-0576.

For additional barbecue safety tips and other valuable safety-related information, please visit www.eastmeadowfd.com and click the “FIRE SAFETY” tab.