To put out a grill fire, cut off what’s feeding it. On a gas grill, turn off the burners and, if you can reach it safely, close the tank valve. On a charcoal grill, close the lid. On an electric grill, unplug it. Never use water on a grease fire, and if the fire reaches the propane tank or spreads past the grill, get everyone back and call 911.

Step 1: Cut off the fuel or the air

The U.S. Fire Administration’s steps depend on your grill:

• Gas grill: Turn off the burners. If you can reach the tank valve without leaning into the flames, close it.
• Charcoal grill: Close the lid to cut off the air the fire needs.
• Electric grill: Unplug it or switch off the power.

If the fire involves the tank itself, leave it alone. Get everyone away from the grill and call 911.

If you smell gas while you’re cooking, the NFPA’s advice is to get away from the grill, call the fire department and leave the grill where it is.

Step 2: Keep water away from it

When fat drips onto hot burners or coals, it can catch. That’s a grease fire, and water makes a grease fire flare up. The U.S. Fire Administration says to use a portable fire extinguisher instead.

Step 3: Spray or smother what’s left

With the fuel or the air cut off, deal with any flames that are still going. Use the right tool for where they are:

• A small fire you can spray: Hero Fire Spray is made for small grease, wood and fabric fires. Pull the ring, aim at the base of the flames and sweep side to side. It’s light enough to use with one hand, so you can keep it on the side shelf.
• Burning grease you can cover: If grease has spilled onto the side shelf or the ground, lay a fire blanket over it. The XL Emergency Fire Blanket is made for fires wider than a pan. It opens to about 4 by 6 feet, so it covers a grill flare-up in one move. Pull the tabs, hold the top edge and lay it over the flames, with your hands behind it.

Keep your face back and give yourself room. If the fire keeps growing after you’ve cut the fuel and tried once, stop, get everyone away and call 911.

What to wear at the grill

A flare-up jumps toward whoever is standing closest. Two things make that moment safer for the cook:

• The Fireproof Apron guards against grease, sparks and flare-ups from your chest to your upper legs, with heat resistance up to 1,100°F. If a small fire starts, pull the two red tabs and it comes off as a fire blanket. The blanket is already on the person doing the cooking.
• Fire Protection Gloves cover your hands and forearms, with heat resistance up to 932°F and five fingers to grip tongs and grates. They cover the forearm a mitt can leave bare when you reach across the grill.

Stop the next grill fire before it starts

July is the peak month for grill fires, according to the NFPA. Its tips for every cookout:

• Clean grease and fat off the grates and out of the trays below them.
• Open the lid before you light a gas grill.
• At the start of each season, brush soapy water on the gas hose. Bubbles mean a leak to fix before you grill.
• Set the grill well away from the house, deck railings, eaves and overhanging branches. Massachusetts fire officials say at least 10 feet from the side of a building.
• Keep kids and pets at least three feet back.
• Never leave a lit grill alone.

For more on safe cookouts, read our grilling safety tips.

Keep the fix by the grill

If a small fire starts out at the grill, your fire blanket is probably back in the kitchen. Keep the fix where the fire starts: an XL Emergency Fire Blanket on the wall by the grill, a Hero Fire Spray on the side shelf, and the Fireproof Apron and Fire Protection Gloves on whoever is cooking. The Grilling Safety Set puts the apron, the gloves and a Hero Fire Spray in one box.

Get the XL Emergency Fire Blanket