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Important: this is the only safe way to light a barbecue!

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Be careful when you light your barbecue!

The sun is out and many people take this as their cue to get out in the garden and light the barbecue. That’s a great idea, of course. Yet a lot can go wrong when you want to grill some food outside and sometimes it does. That’s why we want to get this out there once and for all: this is the only save way to light your barbecue!

There’s no other way.

No spirit

A lot of people think they’re being smart and quick by lighting their barbecue with white spirit or methylated spirit. It might be quick, but it’s definitely not smart because it’s actually very dangerous. Opening the bottle of spirit causes an invisible cloud of gas to come out. This gas is highly flammable and as soon as even the smallest spark comes into contact with it, you’ve got yourself a flash fire. This is how you safely light your barbecue:

  • Put the barbecue on a sturdy, flat surface.
  • Place white firelighters beneath the briquettes you want to use. You can also use brown firelighters, but these should be placed on top of the briquettes.
  • Light the firelighters with a long match.
  • Don’t blow on the fire, but use an air blower or a fan.
  • Pay attention when you’re done grilling: charcoal glows for a long time, even when you think the fire is out. If need be, you could use sand to make sure the flames are completely extinguished.

Children

Make sure any children that are present when you’re lighting the barbecue stay at a distance of at least two meters. Also create a clear barrier or boundary between the barbecue and the children. One last tip: make sure the person to light the barbecue is completely sober. Have a save barbecue!

Read more: These are 5 things you can do with aluminium foil you didn’t know about!

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Bron: Tips en Weetjes | Image: Wikimedia Commons, SparkFun Electronics