Summertime is arguably the best season of the year. The warm weather creates great opportunities to have fun and spend time with friends and family.

Grilling out is one of our favorite past times as Americans. The scent of delicious food in the air mixed with the sounds of conversation and music make for an enjoyable day. Unfortunately, these joyous events can quickly turn sour due to fires caused by grilling accidents.

If you’re a Philadelphia, PA resident planning on grilling at your home, we encourage you to do it in a safe way so that it doesn’t result in you needing fire damage restoration services.

Here are some tips on operating your grill in a safe way:

• Never use a charcoal or propane grill inside your home.
• Keep your grill a safe distance away from siding and deck railings.
• Caution children and always keep them 3 feet or more away from the grill.
• Don’t leave your grill unattended for any reason.
• Make sure your grill is cleaned on a routine basis. Allowing grease to accumulate in the grates and trays can lead to an accident in the future.
• Don’t add starter fluid to charcoal if the coals and kindling have already been ignited. Also, never use any type of flammable substance other than charcoal lighter fluid to ignite coals.
• If you’re using a propane grill, make sure to check the gas cylinder hose for leaks before your first use. You can do this by applying soap and water to the hose. If there’s a leak, it will appear as bubbles at the point where the leak is occurring. Turn off the gas if you see a leak. If the leak stops you should contact a professional to fix it before using it again. If the leak does not stop, disconnect the hose from the tank immediately.
• If you smell gas, get as far away from the grill as possible, and call the fire department.
• Keep a fire extinguisher nearby to put out small fires and prevent the need for fire damage restoration.

The fire damage restoration experts at ServiceMaster by Stiffey want you to enjoy time with family and friends this summer. We also want you to do it in a safe way. If an unfortunate fire does happen at your Pittsburgh, PA home, contact us right away for quick-response fire damage restoration services.