Fire Department Reminds People To Be Careful With BBQs
With the warmer weather and people out barbecueing the Moose Jaw Fire Department would like to remind people to be fire safe.
Along with all present precautions to prevent fires and tragedy when barbecuing there are a couple of other fire hazards people should be aware of.
Whether they are cooking their own meal or having friends and family members over within the parameters of the provincial COVID - 19 preventative measures there are things people may overlook which could cause a fire Moose Jaw's fire chief said.
One of the things many people may overlook is alcohol based hand sanitizer which is flammable.
“Hand sanitizer is certainly alcohol based so you need to read the warning labels. Many tell you on their labels not to use it near an open flame. People need to know any type of alcohol will burn,” chief Rod Montgomery said. “We are certainly aware of the potential (for fires) and we are hopeful people are mindful of it too.”
In order to be effective against the COVID - 19 coronavirus alcohol based hand sanitizer has a high alcohol content and due to that purity can actually burn without a visible flame.
There have been instances in the United States where people have suffered severe burns from an alcohol based hand sanitizer and then working around the grill.
Chief Montgomery did not want to people to panic but wanted to point out potential dangers.
“In an appropriate quantity and proper use you should have no problems,” he said.
Alternatives to alcohol based sanitizer might be disposable hand or baby wipes or individual wash cloths which are not shared and later laundered appropriately.
If using disposable products at home or having a picnic elsewhere Chief Montgomery also said the product should be properly disposed of and not simply flushed down the sewer or tossed as litter.
“We don't want to have the flip side of it as the disposable wipes take a long time to break down or have a lot of littering.”
Another quirky fire hazard is the disposal of cigarette butts in flower pots.
Although it might seem like soil and an easy place for residents or their guests to safely dispose of a lit cigarette it may not in fact be.
Many potting soils are not just dirt but made up of combustible components. Many planters are plastic, which are made from hydrocarbons, which is also combustible.
“Nobody is ever going to think about it as flammable. It’s dirt. But it’s not just dirt there are parts of it which can burn…don't dispose of cigarettes in flower pots a lot of what people think is just dirt can burn.”
It is actually something the Moose Jaw Fire Department has responded to over the years.
“It's rare but it is something we have responded to over the years. People think they have safely disposed of a lit cigarette only to have a deck fire,” Chief Montgomery said.
The Chief recommends disposing of lit cigarette butts in a metal can with a metal lid to help prevent any potential fires.
Check out the video below about hand sanitizer and open flames: