The steaks and burgers are sizzling on decks across the city, as Prince George residents cook the last layer of frost off of winter.
Some grill-hards never extinguished the outdoor cooking flame all year long, but for most, the barbecue goes back into use when enough space has melted on the deck to gather a few friends.
Before the first spark is ignited, though, Prince George Fire Rescue Service urges all deck hands to inspect the equipment. Weather and other factors can compromise the safety of a barbecue system over the winter, so a few simple checks have to be made.
The first thing, said Fire Prevention Officer Marcel Profeit, is to open the lid and - this is Canada after all - make sure no small creatures turned the cooking chamber into a seasonal shelter. Squirrels, mice, rats, even birds can stuff the barrel of the barbecue with flammable nesting material or seed caches.
Once cleared, make sure your tank, valves and hoses are in good condition.
Connect all the parts, said Profeit, and perform a simple soap test before setting the fire. He instructs barbecue owners to...
- pour a 50-50 mixture of water and common dish soap into a container,
- brush this on all the joints and valves,
- twist the tank's knob a quarter turn to charge the system with gas,
- watch for bubbles - bubbles indicate a leak that must be immedaitely repaired
"Leaks are the main thing you have to be worried about, either the valves or the hoses, because that can cause a fire," said Profeit. "If that happens and you can't reach in to turn it off, it will just burn itself out. Those tanks, if handled properly, are not very volatile at all. They are very safe, and problems are minimized if you have it away from your house, your trees, things of value that can catch fire."
These incidents have occurred in Prince George but none so far this year.
If all the tests are done on the grill, the hoses, the joints and the tank, the next step is to fire it up.
"When starting up your grill there is a procedure you should follow," he said. "No. 1, always make sure your lid is open.
"No. 2, make sure your control valves [the heat adjustment knobs] are all closed.
"[No. 3], open the tank, charge the system with the propane gas, then return to your control knob.
"Again, with the lid open, press the igniter for five seconds. If you don't get a flame in five seconds, shut off your control knob. Let your system air out. We don't want a buildup of propane in there ... you can get a dangerous buildup of gas and when it does ignite it can cause an explosion."
When you are done your cooking session, turn the bottle off first and let the system drain. You'll know this is finished when the flame puffs out. Never leave the bottle turned on, even if your heat knobs are turned off.
Each household propane bottle has a life span of 10 years. Propane fueling stations will not refill a tank older than its expiration date.
This process can be seen, demonstrated by Profeit, on a short how-to video available at the City of Prince George website.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
