Grilling is a summertime staple for many people, and with good reason! Grilling food can make it more flavorful and tender. But when your grill catches on fire, like mine did last week, you have to wonder what the heck happened. I’m sharing my experience so other grilling enthusiasts will know how to avoid this problem in the future.
No one likes a grease fire. Especially when it catches your grill on the side of its metal neck, forcing you to take refuge in your neighbor’s backyard while fearing for what could have been if only you had done more maintenance with that old-school gas tankers. The main reason these fires happen is due to grills being neglected and not cleaned properly – but don’t worry! There are plenty of ways around this problem by using some time and elbow grease so as long as those flames go out before they spread elsewhere, everything should be just fine (until next year).
What do you do when your gas grill catches on fire?
To take care of your grill fire, first turn off the burners by reaching for them with a pot holder or other item that is long enough to do so. Next, remove any food and smother the flames by throwing baking soda sand on it all around. Close up everything as much as possible like you would when cooking in an oven because this will starve oxygen from feeding into the flame.
Can I use my gas grill after a grease fire?
If you own a BBQ grill, it’s essential to clean your grills and wipe them down after use. Leaving dirty grease all over the surface of your grill is not only gross but also produces smoke that can ignite into an unfortunate fire if left unattended for too long!
Once your fire is out and it’s safe to approach, you should inspect the frame of your grill. This part contains all the pipings for gas-flow, so one or two of them might’ve melted because of high heat. You may have to replace a few parts if they’re irreparable, but this shouldn’t be too expensive after checking online for the right replacement parts.
The easiest way to tackle this problem is by using an oven cleaner, which helps you clean up the grates and get rid of any built-up grease without much hassle or hard work. However, most of these cleaners contain chemicals that will not only damage the paint but also the material of your grill, so I would suggest using oven cleaner with care.
If you’re more into DIY solutions for cleaning up grease fires, here are some suggestions that can help you out:
(1) Wipe down your grates and other parts with a wet rag or sponge.
(2) Wash all removable parts in soapy water, then rinse them again with clear water.
(3) If your grill is made of metal and not enameled, you can use a mixture of 1/2 cup baking soda mixed with 2 cups water. Then just apply it directly on the burned areas. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.
Alternatively, you can also use vinegar for this task instead of baking soda! This is only recommended if your grill is not made of metal though because otherwise the acidity of the solution might damage the surface.
(4) Use a soft-bristled brush to remove any stubborn stains from all parts of your grill.
(5) If you want to give your grill a scrub down, mix 2 tsp of salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3 cups water. Make sure that the soda-salt solution is no hotter than 210 F. This will help remove any stubborn stains and grease from your grill. Just let it sit for 15 minutes before rinsing it off.