Fatal Hope Mills fire highlights need for grill safety
As spring brings warmer weather to North Carolina and sunshine lasts longer into the evening, many people will give their stovetops a rest, take the cooking outside and fire up the grill. The popular spring and summer pastime of grilling out certainly has its perks, but it can also be dangerous, says Kathy Ellis, a senior code official and education specialist with the Cary Fire Department.
Posted — UpdatedThe popular spring and summer pastime of grilling out certainly has its perks, but it can also be dangerous, says Kathy Ellis, a senior code official and education specialist with the Cary Fire Department.
"It's definitely a big problem," Ellis said. "We have fires every year that result from the misuse of grills."
She says one of the biggest dangers is grilling too close to a building. In apartment buildings, the fire code is clear: no grilling within 10 feet.
At one- or two-family houses or townhomes, however, that law doesn't apply.
"We have no control over what somebody does at their home," she said.
Still, there are some guidelines and precautions to preventing fires that are smart to follow:
- Maintain a 10-foot clearance between a grill and a building,
- When using a gas grill, make sure fittings are tight, and check the hose.
- Don't grill too closely to pine straw, pine bark or leaves.
- Only use starter fluid to ignite a charcoal grill; never use gasoline.
- Don't leave a hot grill unattended.
- When finished, close the grill and douse hot coals with water.
When in doubt, Ellis said, use common sense.
"You just have to really pay attention to what you're doing," she said.
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