Garden Fire Safety

A great way to make use of the warm summer evenings is by spending time in the garden, whether you host barbecues for your friends and family or sit round a chiminea and enjoying the longer daylight hours.

However, the risk of garden fires is very real if these barbecues and similar items aren’t looked after properly and correct precautions are not taken. This article will look at ways you can correctly minimise the risk of garden fires.

Place barbecues on level ground

This rule applies to disposable barbecues that come in silver trays: place them on things like patios (or on a raised platform such as bricks if you don’t want to cause any damage to the surface) to avoid them tipping over and spilling embers and coal onto grass or plants.

Only use approved fuels

There are many specialist barbecue lighting fluids and fuels available, so there is no reason to use any flammable liquid you can find in your house. This can be incredibly dangerous, as certain fluids can be more volatile than others. Use only the fire lighters or lighting fluids that are sold with the barbecues – ask at your local homeware store for recommendations.

Garden Fire Safety Precautions

Make sure you do not light fires when there are strong winds present. This can obviously pose a great risk to you and those around you as you have no control over where the flames and embers will go if the wind picks up at any point. If you are lighting a bonfire in your garden, ensure that there are no items such as aerosol cans, paint tins, batteries or foam furniture included. These can explode or emit dangerous toxic fumes if set alight.

Fire Extinguishers

Ensure that you always have a bucket of water nearby, ready to extinguish the fire when you are done with it or if it looks like it might get out of hand. When extinguishing a fire, ensure that it is totally extinguished before you head inside as there is a possibility it may re-ignite if not fully put out.

The summer is the perfect time for enjoying your garden, and barbecues and controlled fires can be the perfect accompaniment for these occasions. However, it is vital that you are fully aware of the risks and how to minimise them so you can enjoy your garden safely.

Here at City Fire Protection, we are proud to be a leading independent fire safety company, providing the finest equipment and training to businesses up and down the country. For more information, get in touch with us today and find out how we can help you.