Fire Up the Barbeque! Tips for Safe Outdoor Grilling

Once upon a time in a city park, two cousins prepared to grill a couple of steaks, but they encountered a small problem. They had charcoal, but no charcoal starter fluid. "Let's use gasoline," said one to the other. So, after a round of high-fives they sloshed unleaded gasoline over the briquettes and struck a match.

Exploding gasoline makes a "crump" noise like a giant trash compactor slamming down on a 50-gallon drum of bubble wrap. Flames shoot into the air, curling eyebrows and inspiring such fleeting thoughts as "using gasoline to cook lunch is a dumb idea."

Safe barbecuing relies upon simple common sense, but let’s face it–we're all just grown-up kids playing with fire when we cook burgers over an open flame—which is part of the fun, but sometimes people do get hurt. Whether your grilling pit is powered by lighter fluid or propane, fire is fire. Know the dangers (and how to use a fire extinguisher.)

Burn, obviously, is the most common injury resulting from grilling outdoors, says Brent King, M.D., chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. "Over-feeding your charcoal fire with starter fluid that then flares up is a common mistake people make,” King says. Especially if you’re standing too close in the first place, you’ve created opportunity for burn. And if the fluid splashes on your clothes, you could ignite yourself as well.

The best way to avoid burns is to use common sense, says Lon Babcock, a board member of the International Barbeque Cookers Association and a founder of the local Texas Gulf Coast Barbeque Association. He recommends a few safety tips for backyard grilling:

*First, use a charcoal starter chimney or tube, which starts a charcoal fire by burning paper rather than lighter fluid. These safe, inexpensive devices can be found in stores that carry outdoor grills and barbecue equipment.

*Do not spray charcoal lighter fluid on an open flame or hot coals.

*Avoid big fires. Burn just enough fuel to cook your food.

*Park your grill away from your house.

*Use hot pads or insulated gloves when touching hot metal.

Do not drink alcohol while cooking on an outdoor grill. "Finish the cooking before drinking," Babcock says. "It's like drinking and driving. Your decision-making gets real slow."

Babcock also warns against cooks spraying charcoal starting fluid on wood or charcoal and immediately closing the grill lid before starting the fire. "They've just created a bomb," he says from personal experience.

Once while preparing his barbecue, he sprayed charcoal starter fluid on the wood and closed the lid. Then he fussed with the meat before remembering to light the grill. Fumes had filled the inside of the hood. Then, he lifted the lid and tossed in a match.