AFD shares grill safety tips for the summer

ALAMOGORDO — With the summer season coming up and school letting out for the year, grilling will be on the rise which means an increase in fire related accidents.

The Alamogordo Fire Department is urging residents to be mindful of cooking safety in the next upcoming months to prevent such incidents.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) latest “Home Grill Fire” report, three out of five households own a gas grill, which means a lot of great food and family times. But, it also means there’s a notable risk of home fires.

According to NFPA’s website, from 2009 to 2013, an annual average of 8,900 home fires nationwide involved grills, hibachis or barbecues, and almost half of all grilling injuries involved thermal burns. Although many (nearly half) of grillers do so year-round. Grilling fires peak in July, followed by May, June and August, according to the website.

AFD Fire Chief Jim LeClair said grill related fires are one of their top calls during the summer and provided some grilling safety tips.

“Some people don’t keep their grass trimmed and a lot of times what happens is the grass has a tendency to get really dry if it’s not watered,” said LeClair. “If they don’t keep it cut and it’s right up against the house itself it could catch on fire which in turn will catch the house on fire.”

LeClair said grillers should always make sure there is a water source nearby in case a fire ignites.

“If it’s possible to put it out and if they have a means of putting it out where they’re not going to hurt themselves,” he said. “Make sure that the house is evacuated and everyone is outside. They should always have a water source nearby like a bucket of water. If they’re in the backyard then most likely they have access to a water hose, just make sure it’s close.”

Summer also means summer holidays such as the Fourth of July where many people like to have camp fires and ignite fireworks.

LeClair said people must always be aware of their surroundings when dealing with fire.

“When it comes to fire pits people must have a spark resistor on top so it doesn’t allow embers to get airborne and doesn’t catch anything else on fire,” he said. “As for fireworks, never allow children near them and make sure there is adult supervision. If igniting fireworks, it’s best to do so on a smooth flat surface away from houses and flammables such as grass and dry leaves. If you’re re-lighting a firework then the fuse is short and that’s when it usually explodes in people’s hands. That’s what gets people hurt. If they do have malfunctions, make sure to have a bucket of water to submerge the firework that will make sure to kill it.”

Alamogordo Fire Department provided the following safety tips for grilling safely this summer: Never leave a barbecue grill unattended. Place the grill well away from siding, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. Don’t use or store on a porch or balcony. Place the grill a safe distance from lawn games, play areas and foot traffic. Keep children and pets away from the grill area and have a 3 foot child free zone around the grill.

AFD also stated to put out several long-handled grilling tools to give the chef plenty of clearance from heat and flames when cooking food. Periodically remove grease or fat buildup in trays below grill so it cannot be ignited by a hot grill. For obvious reasons, use grills only outdoors. If used indoors, or in any enclosed spaces, such as tents, barbecue grills pose both a fire hazard and a risk of exposing occupants to carbon monoxide.

For more grill safety tips visit the National Fire Protection Agency’s website at http://nfpa.org/