Tifton’s Deputy Fire Chief offers grilling safety tips

TIFTON, Ga. – According to the National Fire Protection Association, July is a peak month for grill fires, and Tifton’s Deputy Fire Chief Kiefer Daughtry tells me ways to prevent a grilling disaster.

“According to NFPA there are roughly about over 10,000 fires started each year just from grills,” said Kiefer Daughtry, Tifton Deputy Fire Chief.

Children are the most at risk when grilling.

“The biggest dangers are thermal burns especially if you have kids, even I have a three year old that likes to do what daddy is doing but you have to keep them away at least three feet,” he said.

Deputy Chief Daughtry tells me monitoring a grill flame is simple.

“Keep a utensil in your hand kind of like tongs cause that will remind you when you walk off playing on your phone or watching the baseball game that, hey, I’m still cooking,” he said.

But, what should you do if the fire gets too out of control?

“In every situation if you don’t feel comfortable, the best thing to do is call 911 and get out of the area,” he said.

Always keep your eyes and ears open while on the grill.

“The biggest thing to remember is just stay vigilant when your grilling, stay conscious, watch kids, it’s okay to have fun but be cautions and safe,” he said.

Here are more grilling safety tips by the Tifton Fire Department:

If you are grilling for a remainder of the summer make sure you send me an invite!

Cameron Sanders reporting.

Copyright 2023 CBS 44 South Georgia. All rights reserved.