How to Put Out a BBQ Fire – Safety Guide

Perhaps you still need a little more convincing of how important it is to clean your barbecue, if not for the sake of cleanliness then at least to ensure your own safety? A dirty barbecue carries a risk of fire outbreaks so here’s a quick guide on how to put out the flames in the heat of the moment.

Putting out the fire

If you do suffer an outbreak of fire, despite your best efforts to prevent this from happening, the most important thing is not to panic. Shut everything down and close the fuel supply to the flames, i.e. the burners and the gas. Put the lid or cover on your barbecue to cut off the oxygen supply to the flames, which will cause the fire to go out on its own after a certain period of time. Obviously, stay close by to monitor the situation.

Sodium bicarbonate also known as baking soda is a good solution and it works the same as the method just mentioned above. It stops the oxygen supply that would otherwise keeps the fire burning.

So, why haven’t we mentioned water yet? This is the first natural reaction of many people and it’s true that water helps to put out traditional fires. When it comes to a barbecue fire, however, fat and grease are often the combustible and fat and water don’t mix. Furthermore, in a confined space and at such a high temperature, adding water will only lead to more smoke and could risk causing an explosion. This would mean you’d achieve the opposite of what you were trying to do.