State Fire Marshal’s Office Urges Caution when Grilling

ZANESVILLE, OH – Grilling Season is officially upon us and the State Fire Marshal’s Office wants to make sure you’re prioritizing safety.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office and Division of Liquor Control are urging Ohioans to use caution as they fire up the grill for the first time this summer.

Paul Martin, the assistant chief of fire prevention with the division, said some of the things you can do before you grill is to clean out any old grease, food and debris.

He said birds and insects can nest there during the winter; he also recommends checking your lines to ensure there are no leaks as well.

“Whenever you’re grilling out, it’s basically the same thing as cooking in your kitchen right? So in the kitchen we say ‘Keep an eye on what you fry,’” Martin said. “Which basically just means, stay with your food while you’re cooking it, and that applies to grilling as well. Especially since when we’re grilling we’re using an open flame, so many times we’ve seen fires start because someone ran in to grab something and the grill flared up and now you’ve got a fire on your hands when you get back out to that grill.”

Martin said another good thing to keep nearby is a fire extinguisher, water source or sand to help put out flare ups quickly. He also said if you’re using a gas grill to make sure you know how to shut off the propane or natural gas source in the event of an emergency.

Martin provided some tips for those who opt for a campfire instead of a traditional grill.

“You want to make sure that you have a good zone around that campfire where there’s no burnable materials. You want to clear out a good path, at least 3 feet around the campfire with no kind of burnable debris to where it can spread,” Martin said. “You also want to make sure you’re at least 15 feet away from any structures, so when you have an open flame like that, 15 feet from anything that could potentially catch on fire is definitely a good rule of thumb, you also want to make sure you’re using a designated fire ring.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association gas grills are involved in about 9,200 house fires every year.