Grill Fires

For Kevin, who I watched manage several grill fires at once.
Less than a 3 minute read.

Grill fires, if they're minor, are hard to distinguish from grilling. A grill fire is better than a house fire most times, because the grill is outside. If the grill is outside in wildfire season, then it's probably worse than a house fire.

A grill fire is far more likely to break out on shared, borrowed, or unfamiliar equipment. When grease cleanup is everyone's job, it becomes no one's job. Then it becomes blazing hot fire. These situations are often problematic because extinguisher or hose locations are unknown to the grill operator and bystanders.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of grill fire to consider. The first is a fire that's contained to the inside of the grill itself, and the second is a fire not contained by the grill. The second type is much worse, but is usually manageable if you follow the First Rule: Don't grill unattended. Don't walk away from a grill unless you are willing to accept a serious fire. Don't fall asleep while grilling. Don't get drunk while grilling (this can be a tough pill to swallow for some recreational drunks). By being attentive, you can be sure that almost all grill fires remain the less-dangerous, first type that is contained in the grill itself.

Just as a refresher, fire needs three things: air, fuel, heat. These constraints mean any fire that is fulling inside the grill can be contained, controlled, and extinguished by closing the lid. On gas grills, turn off the gas as well. That will limit the fuel for the fire to old grease and the now-ruined meal that had been cooking. With the lid on and gas supply off, the fire will soon be starved of both air and fuel. On charcoal grills, close the vents and the lid to starve the fire of air. There's no way to cut off the fuel, but that's okay. It is rare that anyone successfully grilling on charcoal has not mastered the basics of fire, which is of course why charcoal grill users act so superior.

If the grill has no lid, the principles laid out here still apply but the practical advice and step-by-step fire suppression guidance does not. It's best to have a water bucket nearby. The second type of grill fire, where the fire has expanded beyond the grill itself, is a much more difficult problem because there is lots of air available for the fire to consume*. That's why an attended grill is so important. Dangerous outside-the-grill fires start as easily managed inside-the-grill fires.

Fear, uncertainty, inexperience, and drunkenness all make it harder to react appropriately to a grill fire, so it's worth considering controlled experiments. See what will burn on the grill and how difficult various substances are to ignite. Note the intensity and duration of flames once the fuel is caught. With a hose in reach and at the ready, run lid on/lid off tests. Imagine you are Sherlock Holmes encountering fire for the first time, and channel his powers of observation. It is not unreasonable to bring a notebook to record your findings, nor is it unreasonable to then burn that notebook. For science.

Once it is possible to answer how long these burgers will burn after the lid is closed, it is possible to manage most grill fires you are likely to encounter.

*There are exceptions for any grilling that is being done underwater, in a vacuum chamber, or in any other low-oxygen environment.