74°

San Diego
Weather

Accessibility Tools

  Turn audio/vision assist on/off
| Contrast: Default / High
|   More Info

Search form

  • Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
  • Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
  • You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Menu

Fire-Rescue Department

Outdoor Grilling Safety

Steak, tomatoes, and corn on a grill

To make sure your next barbecue does not go up in flames, follow these safety tips:

  • Designate the grilling area a No Play Zone, keeping kids and pets well away until grill equipment is completely cool. photo of a backyard grill
  • Before using, position your grill at least 3 feet away from other objects, including the house and any shrubs or bushes.
  • Only use starter fluid made for barbecue grills when starting a fire in a charcoal grill.
  • Never bring a barbecue grill indoors, or into any unventilated space. This is both a fire and carbon monoxide poisoning hazard.
  • Before using a gas grill, check the connection between the propane tank and the fuel line to be sure it is working properly and not leaking.
  • Check grill hoses for cracks, brittleness and holes. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the tubing.
  • Never use a match to check for leaks. If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas and don't attempt to light the grill again until the leak is fixed.
  • Always keep propane gas containers upright.
  • Never store a spare gas container under or near the grill or indoors.

Download our PDF icon summer safety tips (PDF)