Propane Grill Fire Danger

Quick Column Summary:

• Keep grill away from house
• Doublecheck propane connections
• Call fire department first

One of my ham radio friends almost burned his house down in the past two weeks.

He had to switch out the four-gallon propane tank under his grill and somehow cross-threaded the hose connector.

The leaking gas caught on fire and even though he had a fire extinguisher nearby, he failed to put out the fire.

As soon as the fire happened, he told his wife to call the fire department, but she panicked. He ended up calling.

Look at the photos and then READ his advice below the last photo.

The firemen stripped off the vinyl siding to see if the wall sheathing was burning. You can see the melted siding from the fire. Photo credit: Frank Martin

You can clearly see the tank where the fire raged around the tank outlet! Photo credit: Frank Martin

Here's Frank's after-action report and I might add it's fantastic advice:

- keep the grill as far away from the dwelling as possible
- make sure that the connection to the propane tank is tight (no leaking gas)
- call 911 before you try to put out any fire yourself.

His last point is very important. The growth of fire is exponential, not straight line. This means the volume of fire grows FAST. The two or three minutes you spend trying to beat it can mean the difference between life, death or complete property destruction. 

I'm SURE some firemen will comment below and tell real stories about what happens when you FAIL to call them FIRST.