Tired of having your barbecues ruined when a grill fire or flare up burns your meat? While a little charring on grilled meat adds flavor, nobody wants to eat black, charred meat. Here are some ideas on how you can prevent a grill fire at your next barbecue.

Clean your Grill Regularly

If your grill has lava rocks turn them all over before lighting your grill then let it heat up. While it’s heating any build up of grease on the rocks will burn off, then once your grill is good and hot, scrub the grills with a grill brush to get rid of any build up left on them.

Minimize the Fat, Drain the Marinade

Flare ups on a clean grill are caused by fat dripping onto hot coals and igniting, so be sure to trim most (but not all) of the fat off your meat before grilling (a little fat prevents meat from drying out and adds flavor). Also drain any meat that has been marinated before putting the meat onto a hot grill.

Tend your Food

Never leave your grill unattended because even a small fire can turn a steak into a lump of coal in just a few minutes. Be sure to plan for flare ups by leaving some free space on your grill or on the warming shelves so you can move your meat any flare ups.

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