There's nothing quite like a cookout with your closest friends and family. When the weather's warm, the grill is hot! Thousands of families across the country enjoy grilling steaks, hot dogs, hamburgers and many other kinds of food at home.

Backyard BBQ Table

Unfortunately, grills can be an incident waiting to happen if the right precautions aren’t taken. According to the National Fire Protection Association each year an average of 10,200 home fires are caused by some form of grilling. Knowing that, let’s not let that home be yours!

We are here to help all the grill masters out there with these safety measures for outdoor grilling so your cookout is nothing more than good food and fun with your loved ones.

General Outdoor Grill Safety Tips:

Couple Grilling on Back Porch

Remember, your grill could still be hot after you're finished cooking, so it's important that everyone around the grilling area is aware of that and takes the proper precautions. Additionally, charcoal and gas grills each have unique safety precautions.

Here are some safety guidelines for different types of grills:

Charcoal Grills

Outside Dinner Party

Gas Grills

Now that you have the tips to keep your friends, family and home safe, it’s time to get those hamburgers and hotdogs ready! Let HomeFirst® help you stay safe with other tips on fire safety and ways to make sure you’re always prepared.


1 "Consumer Information." HPBA. Accessed June 19, 2019. https://www.hpba.org/Consumer-Information/Barbecue-Outdoor-Living/Grill-Safety/Charcoal-Grill.
2 "CPSC Releases Grill Safety Tips." U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. August 23, 2016. Accessed June 19, 2019. https://www.cpsc.gov/content/cpsc-releases-grill-safety-tips.
3 "Consumer Information." HPBA. Accessed June 19, 2019. https://www.hpba.org/Consumer-Information/Barbecue-Outdoor-Living/Grill-Safety/Gas-Grill.