14 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
JULY
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2004
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
Cooking on a charcoal grill may require more attention to safety than many people realize. Grills pose serious fire hazards, and careful handling is required.
Outdoor grilling calls for extra care
By Julie Jones
jjones@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Barbecuing on the Fourth of July is an American tradition, but grillers beware. Propane gas grills cause 600 fires annually, said Ken Giles, spokesman for the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. When firing up that grill, use extreme caution to avoid health hazards.
By law, you should keep grilling appliances at least five feet from combustible materials, said Rich Barr, Lawrence fire marshal. Grills should not block exits.
Never grill on balconies. Though no law prohibits such actions, many apartment complexes enforce this as a precaution.
If your propane grill is ten years or older, get a new one, Giles said. New devices, such as overfill prevention devices and thermal detectors, help prevent leaks and fires.
Barr said that many times fires were caused by hot coals being dumped on balconies after grilling. He said high columns of flame after the initial lighting of charcoal grills also caused fires.
"Probably the big misconception from a charcoal grill standpoint is that the coals can't stay hot for such a long period of time," said Barr. "If they're covered in a bundle with a hot coal in the middle, they burn real slow if the oxygen is restricted. Two to three days is not a stretch."
Because coals can stay dangerously hot for days after use, they should always be disposed of properly. Allow coals to cool in a non-combustible container that is set away from combustible materials. Coals can also be soaked in the yard with cold water.
With propane grills, check all connections and hoses for leaks, cracks or blockages before each use. Clean away any grease covering air holes.
Barr said to always turn propane grills off at the tank, not just with the on/off switch, so that a pressurized leak won't develop. Never store propane tanks indoors.
GRILLING CHECKLIST
Follow these tips to ensure safe grilling over the holiday weekend.
Never grill indoors.
Check connections and hoses on propane grills.
Keep grill five feet from combustible materials.
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Turn off propane tanks.
Clean grill before using.
Fully thaw meat.
Properly dispose of hot coals.
Clean the grill before cooking to remove any bacteria. Heating the grill before placing food on it will also kill bacteria, said Susan Krumm, Douglas County Extension agent.
When cooking with either charcoal or gas grills, never leave the grill unattended for any length of time.
Krumm said to remove charred debris to reduce exposure to cancer-causing substances. On charcoal grills, let excess lighter fluid burn off before cooking. Coals should be grayish-white to ensure chemicals are not drawn into foods, said Krumm
Fully thaw meats before cooking them and never place cooked foods on plates or surfaces that were used for raw meats.
Never grill indoors, including garages and fireplaces. Indoor grilling increases risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.
"With charcoal it seems to me likely that you could get to a dangerous level of carbon monoxide quickly," Giles said. "It's certainly not safe to grill indoors under any circumstances."
Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the food. Ground beef and pork should be cooked to 160 degrees, poultry to 180 degrees, poultry breasts to 170 degrees and steak to 145 degrees.
- Edited by John Scheirman