• Use charcoal lighter or fluid on coals only before you start the fire. Never use gasoline to start or revive a fire. Gasoline in its liquid or vapor form can ignite and cause severe burns.
• Keep damp or wet coals in a well-ventilated area. During the drying process, spontaneous combustion can occur in confined spaces. If a bag of charcoal gets wet, leave it outside and away from the house.
• Use grills where they will not tip over or ignite objects above them. Do not use them on balconies or under awnings. Over one third (33%) of all gas grill and charcoal grill home fires begin on an exterior balcony or unenclosed porch. Keep grills outside of tents and recreational vehicles.
• Never use a grill in the home. The carbon monoxide produced by burning charcoal can be dangerous in an enclosed space.
• Never leave a lighted grill unattended.
• Have a container of water or garden hose ready to extinguish a fire.
• Keep children away from fires and grills. They may try to climb on the grill to see what is cooking.
• Though coals may appear cold, always soak them after cooking. Carefully douse the coals with water, avoiding splashing and splatters form a garden hose and keep your body clear of steam and smoke.
  

  Grilling Safety

• If you use a grill fueled by liquid propane (LP), check all fuel line connections periodically for leaks by coating them with a solution of soap and water and watching for bubbles, an indicator of a leak.
• Light LP-fueled gas grills according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Turn off burner valves and the supply valve on the gas cylinder or tank when the grill in not in use. Never store an LP-fueled grill indoors.
• Make sure you have long-handled grilling tools on hand to give the chef at your house plenty of clearance from heat and flames when flipping burgers.
• If you need to treat a burn, cool it with cool, not cold, water immediately. Cover the burn with a clean cloth and seek emergency help.

Article Credits: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.