It's Going To Be A Hot Grill Summer, Summit Fire Report Suggests

SUMMIT, NJ — It looks like it may be a hot grill summer in Summit, if a recent Fire Department report is any indication.

A house was partly melted by a grill in Summit over Memorial Day Weekend, the report says.

On Friday, May 28, at 3:54 p.m., the Summit Fire Department responded to a Park Avenue residence on a reported "outside fire with exposure to a house," according to the report.

When the Fire Department arrived, they didn't see a fire. But residents told them that a grill had caught fire while cooking and the siding on the house began to melt.

The Fire Department then "observed an area of siding approximately 4 feet by 6 feet in the rear of the home had melted."

Firefighters secured the propane tank on the grill and moved it away from the house.

They then used the thermal imaging camera to check for hidden fire on the interior or exterior of the residence, with none found. They also removed the siding to look.

Among grilling safety tips, the state of New Jersey says to keep a grill at least five feet from a combustible wall or fence.

The state has more safety tips and rules for grilling and propane barbecue safety:

• Never cook inside a garage, covered porch, under a canopy-covered patio, or on a balcony.
• Conduct annual maintenance and check the grill for sticky vales and rust.
• Don't use fluid designed for a charcoal grill in a propane grill.
• Don't let children tamper with the cylinder or grill. Store cylinders outside.
• Those are only some of the tips. Read more tips here.

Grill fires on residential properties result in an estimated 10 deaths per year, the state says.

Read more about grilling in New Jersey here and Millrose Consultants' outdoor guide to grilling in New Jersey here.

Other Calls For Service In Summit

In the month of May 2021, the Summit Fire Department responded to 189 calls for service. READ MORE: Child Locked In Car, Saved By Summit Fire Department

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