Fire Prevention

As spring is upon us and summer beckons “Barbeque Season” is officially here. Certain precautions and fire safety procedures should be practiced so that your backyard cookout does not turn into a disaster.

Grilling Safety:

For charcoal and wood barbeques: always use approved starter fluids. Never use gasoline, and never add fluid once the coals have been lit. Don’t discard the burnt coals until at least the next day and douse them with water whenever possible.

For propane grills: never start the grill with the top closed. Check all hose and connections for leakage on a regular basis. Check the venturi tubes underneath the grill for obstructions (bees and insects love to nest in this area). Do not store cylinders in direct sunlight or inside a house, basement or garage. A minor leak could lead to a major explosion within a confined area. When shutting down, turn off the cylinder valve first so that the gas within the lines will burn off before the unit shuts down

For all grills: never leave a hot grill un-attended. Keep children and pets at a safe distance, and try to position the grill away from combustibles such as deck components, patio furniture and shrubbery.
Try to keep a fire extinguisher handy, but know enough to call 9-1-1 as quickly as possible if a fire should occur.

Fire Prevention Tip #2…
When you change your clock (spring and fall), change the batteries in your smoke alarms. If you need assistance performing this task call 967‑4586 and ask for the fire inspector.

Fire Prevention Tip #3…
If you are outside trimming after cutting the grass, find the fire hydrant closest to your home and whack down the weeds/high grass that may have been growing around it. We don’t always need to get the water from them, but when we do, we cannot afford to search for them. When winter arrives make sure that snow around the hydrants is cleared.

Fire Prevention Tip #4…
Make sure you have outside numbers on your house that are clearly visible from the street. This is required by Rye City Code, but forget the code violation…you can ill afford to have a firefighter, police officer or ambulance driver searching for your home in an emergency situation.