Is Your Grill & Fire Pit Safe?

Did you know that outdoor entertaining areas, outdoor kitchens with open grills, and a fire pit are the top design features homeowners are requesting over the past few years, according to the American Society of Landscape Architects? 

Grills and and a fire pit for entertaining are at the top of the list of features being added by homeowners for their ambiance and ability to add outdoor entertaining square footage. This is especially true in the New England region where residents savor every last second of outdoor time throughout the spring, summer, and fall in order to make it through those often long winter months indoors. 

With this trend of adding fire pits and grills to properties across the northeast, many homeowners need to think about safety and how they can ensure that their home and property will be safe from open flames during the peak entertainment months. 

Here are three ways your outdoor entertainment areas can become a bit safer this season.

Be Prepared 

As a trusted monitoring and alarm system company, we know the importance of being prepared for a worst case scenario. In the case of having open flames in your yard, you will want to be prepared with easily accessible fire extinguishers and an alarm system attached to your home that can alert you and the appropriate emergency services to any catastrophe, including a fire that could spread from your grill or fire pit to the main structure of your home. 

Place Your Grill or Fire Pit in a Safe Location 

Homeowners should be aware that there are state rules about how far away an open flame should be from the structure of a home. Place your grill or fire pit at least 10 feet from your home structure, garage, or other property structures such as a shed. 

In addition, place your open flame away from overhanging trees or bushes. Placing one of these features on a balcony, fire escape, deck, or roof deck is not advisable as the wood could easily catch fire and get out-of-control quickly. 

Practice Proper Grill Care

Another important aspect of safety when it comes to grills and fire pits is how you care for them throughout the season. 

The National Fire Protection Association reports that in more than a quarter of home grill fires (29%) that the grill had not been cleaned properly. To avoid a fire that could jeopardize your home (and life), be sure to clean out the grease trap which could cause a fire to take off easily. 

Additionally, repair or replace tanks that have rust or show disrepair. Finally, check all connections from the propane tank to the grill before you use it every time. 

Do NOT smoke when lighting the grill. 

To care for your fire pit, it is advised that the fire be allowed to burn itself out each time and the ashes be doused with water and placed in a metal container. Never leave an open flame unattended to burn itself out. Once the ashes have cooled, the homeowner can either use them in their garden or dispose of them properly and safely. 

Contact us if you need more information or would like an estimate on what a home alarm system would look like for your home.