June 4, 2021
Going to do a little cooking on the grill this weekend? Did you know that grill fires cause an estimated $149 million in direct property damage each year across the United States?
According to our partners in safety at theNational Fire Protection Association:
July is the peak month for grill fires (18%), including both structure, outdoor or unclassified fires, followed by June (15%), May (13%) and August (12%). In 2014-2018, an average of 19,700 patients per year went to emergency rooms because of injuries involving grills.** Nearly half (9,500 or 48%) of the injuries were thermal burns, including both burns from fire and from contact with hot objects; 5,200 thermal burns, per year,were caused by such contact or other non-fire events. Children under five accounted for an average of 2,000 or 39%, of the contact-type burns per year. These burns typically occurred when someone, often a child, bumped into, touched or fell on the grill, grill part or hot coals. Gas grills were involved in an average of 8,900 home fires per year, including 3,900 structure fires and 4,900 outdoor fires annually. Leaks or breaks were primarily a problem with gas grills. Ten percent of gas grill structure fires and 22% of outside gas grill fires were caused by leaks or breaks. Charcoal or other solid-fueled grills were involved in 1,300 home fires per year, including 600 structure fires and 600 outside fires annually. How to dispose of coals if you used charcoal for grilling:
Before going to sleep or leaving the area, douse the fire with water and make sure the area is cool to the touch. Empty the coals into a metal container with a tight-fitting lid that is used only to collect coals. Place the container outside and away from anything that can burn. Never empty coals directly into a trash can. Store the charcoal starter fluid out of reach of children and away from heat source Please take a moment to watch the video below to learn how to grill safely.
This press release was produced by the FCFRD News Blog. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
