Fire marshall urges caution around barbecues and outdoor fire pits

Planning on firing up the barbecue or the fire pit this weekend?

Be careful and don’t leave your barbecue heated and unattended. Regina Fire Marshall Randy Ryba said that could be dangerous.

“Just leave for a moment, if the barbecue is too close to the house or the deck railing, pretty soon we have a fire it’ll get up into the attic, up the side of the house, up to the attic and away it goes,” he said.

Ryba said they lose two to three homes per year due to unattended barbecue cooking. He recommends that people place their barbecues at least one metre away from their homes or anything combustible.

Before the first use every year, they recommend that you check all connections using the soapy water test, and never use the barbecue indoors or in a garage.

Most spring, summer or fall nights in Saskatchewan are a great night for a small gathering by the fire pit – as long as you do it safely.
Ryba talked about the special bylaws in place for those with fire pits.

“We require by the bylaw a screen be on the pit at all times,” he said. “The fire pit is not to be used as a means of incinerating yard waste or any other materials.”

Ryba said fire pits must also not start before noon and must be extinguished by 1 a.m. Fire pits will need to be placed at least three metres from combustible materials like fences, housing, decks, bushes and overhanging branches.

Ryba talked about an often unrecognized fire threat – improperly discarded cigarettes and smoking material. The damage from these fires can be considerable.
“We lose many decks a year due to discarded cigarettes in improper containers, plastic milk jugs, a flat ash tray, the wind comes up and blows the butt between the deck boards or  some dried grass.
Ryba recommends people get a metal container and fill it half full of sand, and butt cigarettes in that container.