This weekend temperatures are expected to be in the mid-70s and Saturday is the Summer Solstice \u2013 meaning it is the start of summer and the longest day of the year.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
If you plan on having a barbecue, the Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority asks you to keep these safety tips in mind:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
General BBQ safety:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Always use BBQs out of doors. Bringing them indoors increases the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Stay at the BBQ while cooking. Never leave cooking food unattended.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Keep kids away from BBQs. All BBQs burn very hot and even slight contact by a child can lead to serious burns.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Set up BBQs well away from any combustible structures including fences, sunshades, and any building eaves.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Keep a fire extinguisher, garden hose, and an aid kit handy in case of an accident.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Remember that alcohol slows reflexes and dulls thinking. Avoid alcohol until finished cooking.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Ensure that the BBQ is cool to the touch before storing.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Gas (propane or natural gas) BBQ safety:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Always open the BBQ lid before turning on the gas to avoid gas build up.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 If your BBQ does not light immediately, turn off gas and consult your instructions.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 If you continue to smell propane once the gill is burning. Shut it off and look for signs of a leak.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 If you use a lighter or match to light a gas grill, light it from an opening on the side of the grill not from over the grill.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Check the condition of the gas hose going to the BBQ and the connection to any compressed gas tanks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 When you refill a BBQ propane bottle, check the bottle\u2019s condition. Look for dent, corrosion, or rust.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Check the expiration date stamped on the bottle and replace if necessary.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Charcoal BBQ safety:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Avoid using excessive amounts of lighter fluid. Be patient when heating coals.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Never use gasoline or other flammable liquids to light BBQ.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Move lighter fluid and charcoal containers away from BBQ.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Charcoal can stay hot for several days after they appear out.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Store charcoal ashes in an airtight metal container and store away from combustibles.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This weekend temperatures are expected to be in the mid-70s and Saturday is the Summer Solstice \u2013 meaning it is the start of summer and the longest day of the year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":11117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-11116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11116"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11116\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11116"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=11116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}