PHOTO: Barbecue fire
Firefighters were called to a barbecue fire in Braintree earlier this evening.
On arrival, crews reported that a gas barbecue was on fire and had spread to the gas cylinder.
Firefighters allowed the gas to vent off while tackling the fire with water until it was extinguished by 7:53pm.
Crew Manager Trevor Garrod from Braintree Fire Station said: “With the warmer weather coming and restrictions allowing us to have guests in our gardens, if you’re having a barbecue we’d urge you to check them over thoroughly before using them and make sure there are no faults.
“Never leave a barbecue unattended and make sure you set it up well away from sheds, fences, trees and plants.”
If you're planning on having a barbecue, please follow our safety advice:
- Follow the safety instructions provided with disposable barbecues. Never use a barbecue indoors
- Never leave a barbecue unattendedMake sure your barbecue is well away from sheds, fences, trees, shrubs or garden waste
- Keep children, pets and garden games away from the cooking area
- After cooking, make sure the barbecue is cool before moving it
- Empty ashes onto bare garden soil, not into dustbins or wheelie bins. If they’re hot, they can melt the plastic and cause a fire
- Store gas cylinders outside, away from direct sunlight and frost
- Make sure the tap is turned off before changing the gas cylinder
- After cooking, turn the gas supply off first and then the barbecue control. This will stop any gas from leaking
Could you be an on-call firefighter?
Braintree’s firefighters are on-call firefighters who all live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station and are paid to protect their local community.
If you live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be an on-call firefighter. Find out more about the role at join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call
