Lincoln BBQ blaze 'a very close call'

A barbecue dinner nearly ended in disaster for a Canterbury household until the occupants took quick action to save their home.

The Lincoln Volunteer Fire Brigade was called to the Te Waikare St home at 5.45pm last Wednesday. They arrived to find the barbecue on fire.

Station officer Bryce Bisphan said it was a “very close call”.

“Quick action by the occupants giving us a really early call and us getting there fairly quickly averted disaster.”

The fire damaged the home’s external cladding and insulation, but there was no internal damage, apart from the holes the fire brigade made to check the blaze had not spread inside the walls.

Bisphan advised people to make sure barbecues are not located close to their house and to not leave them unattended while cooking.

“People leave it to warm up and they catch fire and this is the result. It’s certainly a good time to make sure it is clean and ready to go for the season.”

Fire and Emergency New Zealand also advises people to check their gas bottles for leaks and keep them at least 5m from the barbecue when not in use.

FENZ also recommends using a barbecue mat if it is being used on a wooden deck.