Tips When Grilling in East Honolulu

10/25/2021 (Permalink)

Now that it is not blazing hot with the heat of the summer, and “cooling” down for fall now is the perfect time to grill in eastern Honolulu. Although, it does not get cold here in Oahu- it does cool it with the low 90s and high 80s in the fall. Barbecuing with family friends and ohana is a great pastime that we do in our community. And although these usually call for fun gatherings, an open flame is a safety hazard. It is better to be safe than sorry, especially when celebrating; here are a few tips when grilling this season: 

1. Make Sure Children and Pets Keep Their Distance  
1. Ensuring that children and pets are at least three feet away from the grill is imperative to their health respectively. Both do not understand the gravity of an open flame initially, even pets not next to the grill can still cause an accident with the rope that’s holding them.   
2. Loose Clothing 
1. Anyone’s loose clothing three feet or closer to the flame is a potential fire starter. Loose fabric or an abundance of it can cause harm and are not always accounted for on a person. When cooking- especially the chef- but anyone around make sure that the loose clothing is tied back and the farthest away from the flame.  
3. The Grill is in a Safe Location
1. The grill or any cooking tool that uses open flame should be at least 10 feet from a building or anything that could potentially burst into flames. Including items outside that happen to be above or below the grill. Make sure that nothing in a radial distance of 10ft is close. 
4.  The Two-Zone Method  
1. The two zone method was designed to prevent contagious fires that may cause accidents. This is by creating an intangible division in your grill where half of your grill will continuously stay empty and the other half full. This way if a flare-up occurs the food can be safely moved to the other side of the grill. It also improves the quality of your food as it creates a side to sear and another side for slow cooking off a flame.  
5. A Chimney Starter 
1. Lighter fuel is most commonly used for igniting flames on the grill. This may not always be the safest option, lighter fuel tends to aggravate the fire already started and burns bigger and brighter when initially dispensed into the fire. A chimney starter lights the coals more evenly and is also safer. 

And finally- the most important tip when grilling at your home or anywhere else is to make sure that a fire extinguisher is nearby. Water will be a futile extinguishing agent as it is a grease fire, which would make the flames get even bigger and hotter if contact ensured. If there ever is a flare up that may be uncontrollable, close the lid and wait until it is operative again. And regardless if something happens, SERVPRO of East Honolulu is here. We have seen our fair and share of charcoal burnt houses. Call us with any questions, comments or concerns at (808)395-9545.