Rogue propane flare ruins sausage
Fire chief offers tips on propane safety
Staff writer
A fitting caused a propane grill to flare up and ruin a length of sausage last week in the 300 block of Date St. in Hillsboro.
Responding to a report of a propane explosion, fire chief Ben Steketee said the homeowner had extinguished the fire before fire fighters arrived.
“It was a brand new grill and they were grilling for the first time,” Steketee said. “With some quick thinking, the lady got her fire extinguisher and put it out.”
He said the grillers had not completely tightened the grill’s hose fitting that connected to the propane tank, which resulted in the flare-up.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of damage to the grill,” he said. “All that was ruined was the sausage but I guess it could have been eaten if they’d brushed off the fire extinguisher foam.”
As grill enthusiasts fire up grills across the county Steketee offered some simple safety tips in regards to propane.
“It’s really just situational awareness, but there are some tell-tell signs that can indicate something isn’t right on a grill,” Steketee said. “People should look for any signs of damage to their tanks and equipment and be aware if there is a smell of propane or a hissing sound. Propane leaks also develop frost.”
Beyond that, Steketee encouraged grillers to “fire it up” and get their grill on.