Serving up fire safety!

Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service shares tips for barbecue season

Firing up the grill for barbecue season? Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service is sharing fire safety and prevention tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe this long weekend and beyond.

When barbecuing, keep these safety tips top of mind:

• Only use barbecues outdoors. They produce carbon monoxide – a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas that can be fatal in an enclosed space. 

• Ensure all burner ports are free of rust, dirt or cobwebs. Before lighting the burners, use a pipe cleaner or wire to ensure there are no obstructions.

• Check hose and cylinder connections to make sure they are in good working condition. To look for leaks, brush a mixture of 50 per cent soap and 50 per cent water onto all hoses and connections – then, look for bubbles. Replace, repair or tighten any connections until the bubbles are gone. 

• Never use a match or lighter to check for leaks of combustible substances. 

• Clean out grease traps and keep grill areas free of any debris.

• Place your barbecue in a safe area away from combustible materials, buildings and fences. Radiant heat from a barbecue can damage siding on the exterior of a home or shed.

• Always light the barbecue with the lid open. If the burner does not ignite, turn off the gas, keep the lid open and wait five minutes before trying again.

• Inspect the grill frame and body for rust or structural damage. Winter moisture can weaken metal parts and make the barbecue unsafe to use.

When cooking with charcoal grills, only use charcoal briquettes (a compressed chunk of coal dust or charcoal) explicitly designed for that purpose and charcoal-lighting fluids to ignite. Sprinkle the briquettes with lighter fluid and allow them to soak in for approximately 10 minutes. Never add fluid after igniting the barbecue and never use gasoline to light a barbecue.

Propane barbecues

If your grill runs on propane, remember these tips:

• Always carry and transport a propane cylinder in a car in an upright position with the safety valve on top. Ensure your vehicle’s windows are open while transporting.

• Never leave a cylinder in a parked car with the windows up. Heat can build up quickly, which, in turn, can cause an explosion. 

• Never store propane cylinders indoors, including garages or sheds. Always keep them outdoors in an upright position, situated in a secure, well-ventilated area away from heat or ignition sources. Even empty tanks can pose a hazard if exposed to heat.
• Keep propane tanks away from building exits to ensure safe evacuation in an emergency.

For more information and fire safety tips, visit vaughan.ca/fire.

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