Cookout Safety Tips

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the BBQs are being fired up. Nothing screams summer like a cookout in the back yard with friends and family. What typically is a great time, can turn into quite the disaster is you are not careful. Over 10,000 home fires each year are started by grill.

Here are some safety tips to follow:

• Keep the grill at least 10 feet away from the house, garage, and porch. Never cook under a wooden overhang incase a flame flairs up into the structure.

• Regularly clean your grill. Grease and fat building up on the grill increases the changes of the fire getting out of control.

• Never turn the gas on while the lid is still closed. This is a big one! You will open the lid and have a ball of fire coming out at you.

• Speaking of gas, make sure you check for leaks in the propane tank.

• Don't overload your grill with fatty food. Too much grease can be a problem.

• Play it safe and keep a fire extinguisher close by and know how to use it!

Now that you are ready to enjoy your cookout, here are some great recipes to try out! Happy grilling.