Summer is prime time for grilling and grilling-related fires

6/21/2019 (Permalink)

Grilling Safety Tips provided by the NFPA

When the warmer weather hits, there’s nothing better than the smell of food on the grill.

Seven out of every 10 adults in the U.S. have a grill or smoker*, which translates to a lot of tasty meals. But it also means there’s an increased risk of home fires.

In 2013-2017, fire departments went to an annual average of 10,200 home fires involving grills, hibachis or barbecues per year, including 4,500 structure fires and 5,700 outside or unclassified fires.

These fires caused an annual average of 10 civilian deaths, 160 civilian injuries and $123 million in direct property damage.

According to the NFPA, the top three causes of grilling fires are failure to clean the grill, leaks in gas hose lines or breaks in the grill body itself, and proximity to flammable objects.

SERVPRO of Wichita Falls urges our customers to grill safely, and follow additional tips from the NFPA at www.nfpa.org/grilling .