Plum house deemed uninhabitable after grill fire
A family in Plum has been displaced from their home after their grill sparked a fire this weekend.
With the Fourth of July holiday, countless families will host cookouts in the coming days. If you're not careful, you could be in the same situation.
Larry Wood was sitting on his deck when he heard a loud noise Sunday evening.
"It was just like a poof," Wood said.
He then heard a woman screaming and turned around to see a fireball on his neighbor's porch.
"I ran over to see what I could do to help," Wood said.
It was coming from the grill leaning against the home on Greendale Drive off Old Leechburg Road. He quickly decided to run back to his place and grab his fire blankets to cover it.
"That kept the fire from going up, but it still was burning the grease and everything underneath," Wood said.
The gas line was also melted.
"I asked him if he could turn the gas off, and he said, 'I can't reach in, and I can't touch it because it's too hot,'" Wood said.
Before they knew it, the propane tank caught fire, and flames spread to the roof. Unity Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Glenn Kopec Jr. said the man who lives there with his wife was treated at the hospital for minor burns. A firefighter also received care for heat exhaustion.
"It sounds like there may have been a leak from the propane tank while they were using the grill, and the propane ignited from the tank, thus causing a little bit of an explosion," Kopec said.
The home was not condemned, but ruled uninhabitable.
The Allegheny County fire marshal's office told KDKA the fire was determined to be an accident.
"You should have it anywhere from 5 to 10 feet away from the building," Kopec said.
Kopec said that's one step the homeowners could have taken to protect their home, but it's unclear whether they conducted any maintenance.
You'll want to check if any animals got inside if you leave your grill out year-round, make sure your ignition is working properly, and if not, shut off the fuel source. Also, clean your grill if there is any grease left behind, and if there's a fire inside with food, leave it closed until first responders arrive.
Take these steps, because as Wood said, the homeowner told him, 50 years of grilling with no problems can go up in flames in seconds.
"It takes just an instant," Wood said.
It's also important not to leave the grill unattended and keep an eye on it if you're using it, and if you're manning the grill, be responsible with alcohol.
