Barbecuing is a summer tradition. Some even do it year round. But just because your barbecue worked fine last year doesn't mean you can just roll it out and use it this year. You could be asking for a serious fire which can endanger you -- and your neighbours.
"In 2009, we had 20 barbecue fires and that amounted to $52,000 in damage," said Captain Gabe Roder of the Vancouver Fire Department.
The usual cause of barbecue fires are a build up of grease, which causes the barbecue to overheat.
"Which then lights, in many cases, a back hedge or a back wall of the home," Roder said.
And the strangest case?
"Somebody was barbecuing, they went to bed and left the barbecue on," he said.
But proper attention and preventative maintenance can make it a safe BBQ season.
If your barbecue is dirty, clean it up. A barbecue brush will clean grease off the lid and help you clean out the inside.
Another cause of fires is faulty connections.
Start by checking the fittings. Put soapy water on all the connections including the hose then turn the gas on.
"Just open it up and look for bubbles," Roder said.
Bubbles indicate a leak.
Check the burner. It should be in good shape and not easy to move
"If you can grab your burner and pull it out --very simply that's not right," he said.
If your burner is badly corroded, it's not safe. The good news is you can buy replacement burners for a fraction of the cost of buying new and make an old barbecue as good as new as long as the fire box is intact.
If it's corroded get a new BBQ. Holes would allow hot burning grease to drip onto the propane hose which can cause a gas leak and explosion.
Finally, if you have kids and pets you have to keep them a safe distance away from the barbecue. The recommended distance is 1.5 metres. That's about two giant steps around the grill. It means that if you live in an apartment that allows barbecuing, the kids and pets have to stay inside.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
