Experts offer grilling safety tips as August heat hits

CHICAGO (Salvi Law) – Grilling has become an integral part of many Midwestern celebrations and summer meals. In fact, three out of five households in the United States have a gas grill. And while that may mean there is a lot of delicious food to go around in the summer months, that also means there is an increased risk of something going terribly wrong.

While grill fires can happen all year round, they are typically more common in the summer months.

According to a report, each year nearly 9,000 fires are caused by grilling. Those fires resulted in 10 deaths and 160 injuries. Additionally, in 2014, 16,600 people went to the emergency room for treatment of injuries involving grills.

Experts say failure to clean the grill is the leading cause of frill fires. Other causes include leaks or breaks, or something flammable being too close to the grill.

Luckily, there are several ways to reduce the risk of grill fires. The National Fire Protection Agency offers these tips for keeping yourself, and your family safe, while grilling this summer!

• Only use your grill outside
• Keep your grill away from siding and deck railings
• Keep a 3 food “safe zone” around your grill to keep your pets and children safe
• Clean your grill after each use to remove grease
• Place the coals from your grill in a metal can with a lid once they have cooled
• Open your gas grill BEFORE lighting it
• Always keep an eye on your grill and never leave it unattended