Know the dos and don’ts of a safe barbecue By Shannon Antinori (Patch National Staff) – Updated July 3, 2017

AURORA, IL — The Aurora Fire Department offers some simple safety tips to prevent your 4th of July cookout from going up in flames. Here are some dos and don’ts of safe grilling: 

  • Always supervise a barbecue grill when in use.
  • Never grill indoors – not in your house, camper, tent or any enclosed area.

  • Make sure everyone, including pets, stays away from the grill.
  • Keep the grill out in the open, away from the house, the deck, tree branches or anything that could catch fire.
  • Use the long-handled tools especially made for cooking on the grill to keep the chef safe.
  • Never add charcoal starter fluid when coals have already been ignited.
  • When using a propane or gas grill make sure you light it with the lid open. When using charcoal grills again make sure the lid is off before lighting and that you properly dispose of the coals by either putting them into a fireproof container to cool away from any flammable materials or putting water onto them and leave the coals in the grill away from flammable materials while cooling. Do not dispose of coals in a garbage can or dump them on the ground and leave them unattended.
  • Do not grill on balconies or wooden decks.

Finally, keep in mind that alcohol consumption is a factor in many home emergencies. Please enjoy responsibly.