Overnight smoke on the deck, burns house down


 

Lynn Dollar

TVWBB Emerald Member
Smoked brisket causes house fire in north Houston

A man's smoked brisket is to blame Monday for a heavy fire that ignited in the patio of a north Houston home.

Houston Fire Department Chief Deputy Blake White said responders arrived on the scene at the 200 block of Noras Lane around 3 a.m. to find a one-story home heavily inundated with fire and smoke.

The fire spread to the trailer in the back of the home, he said.

According to the homeowner, the family was smoking a brisket overnight on the deck when it somehow caught fire, White said.

Everyone was able to exit the home safely and there were no reported injuries
 
That is terrible news. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

I am curious about the logistics of the fire though, like what happened and how did it escalate to a house fire.
 
That is horrible news. It is the reason why I move my WSM off my wooden deck and out onto the lawn prior to an overnight cook, even in the winter when I have to shovel a level spot in the snow.
 
That is terrible news. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

I am curious about the logistics of the fire though, like what happened and how did it escalate to a house fire.

I saw the headline a few days ago and wondered if it was from a BBQ. Thanks for digging into that Lynn. Yeah, exactly. What happened? My guess would be that something or someone tipped over the grill and there was a lot of grease. And maybe everyone was asleep...
 
You cook on a wood deck, you need to take precautions.
Just like you don't back a gasser up to a wall, heat comes out the back and will start a fire on a wood framed house.

Tim
 
Our deck is directly off the back of the house. I just hate to cook out there for this very reason. I've sprung for 3 heavy duty grill mats but it still makes me nervous. I only do it when it's pouring down rain or if there is a strong wind out of the south. I've got a hose that is on up to the nozzle and a fire extinguisher out there with me. I would never attempt an all night cook under any condition. Heck, I couldn't sleep.
 
Not a good thing for sure, but at least no one was hurt. I don't do overnight cooks so it's not a concern for me. I always want to be watching when cooking with a grill or smoker I would rather get up a 0 dark thirty and start my cook and be awake through the whole cook.
 
I could not image the agony of an unfortunate event like this. Could you imagine how it would quite possibly kill your barbecue/smoking hobby, or passion?
 
I've done overnight cooks with my WSM on my deck quite a bit. I'm not super concerned. I'd avoid lump because of the sparks. I think the danger I've seen is when lighting and pouring chimneys of charcoal. Something knocking the thing over would be obviously a danger. It's definitely a sobering news story.
 
Sobering is an understatement. I've done my fair share of overnighters at my old house. Our deck there basically sat on the ground adjacent to the house. I never really worried about it except when lighting and transferring coals. The deck at the new house is off of the second floor and while I have used all of my grills/smokers on the deck, stories like this definitely give me pause when it comes to long cooks.

Certainly glad everyone made it out safely.
 

 

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