Every year during the summer time residents tend to enjoy the backyard cooking and enjoyments, but are homeowners using outdoor cooking and heating fire pits safely?

The San Carlos Fire Department has a few helpful tips to ensure residents that cook outdoors and those residents that may use open fire pits for heating and visual enjoyment do so, but in a fire safe fashion.

• BBQ Pits, either those using propane or charcoal, are used as directed by the manufactured safety guidelines.
• Never use the grills in-doors or in areas that do not have adequate ventilation.
• Cook at least ten feet from the structure, fence lines, and out from under low hanging tree branches.
• Place BBQ pits on a level surface and never leave the cooking appliance unattended, and keep a fire extinguisher near by.
• Remember, BBQ Pits are used for cooking and not for burning of trash and/or waste materials. (Garbage)
• Open fire pits shall be used in a safe fashion only as indicated on the manufactures safety instructions.
• No open pits are permitted unless they are of the type that uses natural gas or propane.
• Fire pits that use logs or charcoal blocks for the flames and heating, shall have a screen cover attached during use.
• On Red-Flag Alert Days or High Fire Hazard Days, the Fire Department recommends that outdoor cooking and fire pits not be used.
• Never remove hot ashes until they are cool and completely out and place ash in a non-combustible metal can with a lid. Mixing a little water in with the ashes will ensure there are no hot ash materials that can start a fire.

All residents must be aware that the burning of trash and debris is not permitted!