Lesson learned almost the hard way.


 
Rich Dahl

Rich Dahl

R.I.P. 7/21/2024
Wanted to share this with the forum.
A couple of nights ago we decided to grill a couple boneless marinated chicken breasts.
I decided to use the gas Genesis 1000 instead of firing up the performer. Two problems that contributed to this near miss was one we just moved in to this home and the porch light is very small and does not put out a lot of light. The second is I hate the cold and was in a hurry to get back into the warm house.
My error was going out and moving the genesis as close to the light as possible while it still had the cover on. I turned on the gas at the tank took the cover off then went inside to get the chicken. I came back out and opened the hood turned on the front burner hit the igniter and KABOOM. A large fireball came out of the grill scaring the bajeezes out of me. I was fortunate that I wasn’t injured and no damage to the grill or house.
What happened was I accidently opened the back burner to low when I moved the grill with the cover on and didn’t know it. By being in a rush I failed to open the lid BEFORE turning on the gas at the tank, so the grill was full of unburned gas from the back burner.
Big mistake on my part which will never happen again!
Please be safe out there.
 
Scary event Rich, glad it wasn't worse.
Thanks for posting, it just might save someone from injury, total disaster, or both.
 
Rich,
Thanks for sharing this reminder! I could see doing this myself as my wife swears I am getting more accident prone with each passing year.

However, in the South, usually an explosive fireball is preceded by the phrase, "Here, hold my beer & watch this ..." :cool:
 
Glad that you're safe Rich and I appreciate the reminder....now I just need to remember that I actually have a gasser.
 
Scary indeed Rich!! Someone was watching over you for sure!! Thanks for posting - it's a good reminder for us all!!!
 
It's amazing how little things pile up to make that big event....good reminder , glad you didn't get burned.
 
Another way this can happen is if you do what I do and turn off the grill at the tank instead of the burner knobs. Of course it's my intent that after the flame goes out I shut the valves off using the knobs, but I do forget from time to time. Fortunately, I have not made the mistake of lighting the grill without the lid being open. That's a bad "habit" that you need to eliminate from your grill lighting process.
 
Jerry,
Rich said:
"I came back out and opened the hood turned on the front burner hit the igniter and KABOOM."

He didn't try to light it with the lid closed.
 
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Glad your okay and thanks again for the reminder to us all. No matter how experienced or well versed in safety its always good to be reminded. This just goes to show it only takes one moment of inattention or distraction for a small mistake like that to become a huge issue.
 
Matt Gard said:
Glad your okay and thanks again for the reminder to us all. No matter how experienced or well versed in safety its always good to be reminded. This just goes to show it only takes one moment of inattention or distraction for a small mistake like that to become a huge issue.
Click to expand...

Matt, that’s why it took me a couple of days to put up the post. Nobody wants to be the fool and I was, I pride my self in that I always go the safest route in whatever I do and in 65 years I’ve never broken a bone or suffered any serious injury and it wasn’t because I kept myself in a box. I used to race motorcycles and cars so I exposed myself many times to danger. Just common sense kept me safe, second or third place or even last was better then an ambulance ride to the hospital.
But after thinking about it, what I did wasn’t right but not something uncommon I’m sure. Who would have thought a grill cover would allow me to turn a valve on and not know it.
That’s why I posted it just too hopefully make people realize that just a minor thing like a grill cover being on when moving the grill could cause a major disaster. I’m sure most of use don’t think about grilling as a dangerous thing but the potential is sure there more so then in a lot of other things we do.
Sorry about being so long winded, I just hope this post keeps someone else from getting hurt.
Please be aware of what you’re doing when playing with fire.
 
Matt Gard said:
Glad your okay and thanks again for the reminder to us all. No matter how experienced or well versed in safety its always good to be reminded. This just goes to show it only takes one moment of inattention or distraction for a small mistake like that to become a huge issue.
Click to expand...

glad to hear your ok. Thanks for sharing Rich.
 
Bob Correll said:
Jerry,
Rich said:
"I came back out and opened the hood turned on the front burner hit the igniter and KABOOM."

He didn't try to light it with the lid closed.
Click to expand...

Yes, I miss read. I picked up on what he did say "By being in a rush I failed to open the lid BEFORE turning on the gas at the tank" and miss read it thinking he failed to open the lid before lighting the grill. My mistake. Thanks for the correction. Jerry
 
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