Firemen here last night

[jimnyc]

I went to pick up my son from a function late afternoon yesterday. When we were getting back home we weren't able to get on our block as there was a fire engine a few houses in, a few police cars, and cars with their hazards on all over (I assume firemen who came directly to the scene). I had to park out on the main block and walk down, as they were close to my house. Of course my first thought was that our house caught on fire, but I didn't see any smoke or flames. As I got closer I ran into my neighbor. She said they were there as it smelled like gas and her husband called the FD. Right away we all agreed it smelled like propane. They were in my neighbors back yard and a few firemen came out and said nothing wrong back there. Next thing you know I see 2 firemen come out of my yard and one of them tells the others on scene that the gas was running on our grill and it was the propane we all smelled. I'm like WTF? I was even out there earlier with the dogs and there was no smell at all. I let the dogs out like 20x per day and the door is like 5 feet from the grill. There's NO WAY any of those burners were in the on position earlier in the day. BUT, I am guilty of leaving the propane tank in the on position while turning off the burners when done. The firemen said this isn't good as even an animal like a squirrel or a raccoon could turn the burner knobs.

So now I look like an asshole with my neighbors. We were all out there wondering what the hell was going on, and all along it was somehow me! LOL

So while maybe I should turn the propane tank off completely when not in use - I have a nice Weber grill and the knobs don't turn easily and sure as hell don't turn on by themselves. I just don't understand how they could have been turned on (the firemen refer to "they", but I never saw them on, and they never specifically stated how many. I have 3 burners, so I'm assuming it was 2 or 3 in the on position since the firemen said "they" were in the on position.) And if more than one, what would the odds be that an animal would turn on a burner on a grill, and then do the same on a second?

I was grateful to my neighbors and to the firemen. No matter how this got to that point, with the neighborhood smelling like gas from this, it could have been worse if something sparked near the tank. So now I'm embarrassed over something that happened that I have no idea how happened. Neither me or the wife have used the grill in close to a month.

[Abbey Marie]

Do you have any issues with a neighbor? Seems to me only a human could have done this.

[jimnyc]

Do you have any issues with a neighbor? Seems to me only a human could have done this.

Nah, I'm cool with everyone, surprisingly since I'm such a bastard, but probably more so since I'm a hermit. But you're onto my line of thinking - either someone turned them on, or there's the very remote chance that an animal turned them on. And being the grill is on the porch right where we let the dogs out, is it possible that one of us kinda swiped along the grill and innocently turned them on somehow? It would have been in the afternoon when just Jordan and I were home. I then brought him to an appointment, ran a few errands, picked him up and came home to that scene. There was definitely no prominent smell when we left. I was the only one who let the dogs out and I know I never went all the way out onto the porch. My son had a sandwich and a quesadilla made on the stovetop. I had nothing. There was no need for either of us to have been near the grill, that I'm aware of.

I guess it's a lesson learned anyway - always turn the propane tank off when not cooking. :(

[Abbey Marie]

Oh, I had the impression that the knobs are hard to turn. Now, I have to find out if my husband turns off the tank. Bet he doesn't.

[Gaffer]

Maybe some banned board member stopped by while you were out.

[hjmick]

Wait until you get the bill...

[hjmick]

Maybe some banned board member stopped by while you were out.


Pale Rider is stalking him...

[aboutime]

Oh, I had the impression that the knobs are hard to turn. Now, I have to find out if my husband turns off the tank. Bet he doesn't.


Abbey. It's been a long time since I used an outdoor grill with gas. But, if memory serves. Those knobs on the TANKS are supposed to be turned...the OPPOSITE of all other knobs, like spigots, and nuts/bolts.
So it seems. Someone could easily turn what they think is OFF, but rather be turning them on/open.

[jimnyc]

Maybe some banned board member stopped by while you were out.

I think my house would have been completely burned down if that were the case!


Wait until you get the bill...

That's what I'm afraid of! The past thing the one firemen asked me was my number and full name. I assumed it was for paperwork, but maybe a bill? Yikes!


Pale Rider is stalking him...

Only if I see a biker gang. He was going to get the "Vagos" after me!


Abbey. It's been a long time since I used an outdoor grill with gas. But, if memory serves. Those knobs on the TANKS are supposed to be turned...the OPPOSITE of all other knobs, like spigots, and nuts/bolts.
So it seems. Someone could easily turn what they think is OFF, but rather be turning them on/open.

On the tank, yes, it's counter clockwise to turn on. But the tank was always left on and controlled by the burner knobs on the grill itself, which are the opposite, clockwise to turn on. It's the actual grill that someone had turned into the on position when it was off earlier.

[Jeff]

I went to pick up my son from a function late afternoon yesterday. When we were getting back home we weren't able to get on our block as there was a fire engine a few houses in, a few police cars, and cars with their hazards on all over (I assume firemen who came directly to the scene). I had to park out on the main block and walk down, as they were close to my house. Of course my first thought was that our house caught on fire, but I didn't see any smoke or flames. As I got closer I ran into my neighbor. She said they were there as it smelled like gas and her husband called the FD. Right away we all agreed it smelled like propane. They were in my neighbors back yard and a few firemen came out and said nothing wrong back there. Next thing you know I see 2 firemen come out of my yard and one of them tells the others on scene that the gas was running on our grill and it was the propane we all smelled. I'm like WTF? I was even out there earlier with the dogs and there was no smell at all. I let the dogs out like 20x per day and the door is like 5 feet from the grill. There's NO WAY any of those burners were in the on position earlier in the day. BUT, I am guilty of leaving the propane tank in the on position while turning off the burners when done. The firemen said this isn't good as even an animal like a squirrel or a raccoon could turn the burner knobs.

So now I look like an asshole with my neighbors. We were all out there wondering what the hell was going on, and all along it was somehow me! LOL

So while maybe I should turn the propane tank off completely when not in use - I have a nice Weber grill and the knobs don't turn easily and sure as hell don't turn on by themselves. I just don't understand how they could have been turned on (the firemen refer to "they", but I never saw them on, and they never specifically stated how many. I have 3 burners, so I'm assuming it was 2 or 3 in the on position since the firemen said "they" were in the on position.) And if more than one, what would the odds be that an animal would turn on a burner on a grill, and then do the same on a second?

I was grateful to my neighbors and to the firemen. No matter how this got to that point, with the neighborhood smelling like gas from this, it could have been worse if something sparked near the tank. So now I'm embarrassed over something that happened that I have no idea how happened. Neither me or the wife have used the grill in close to a month.

:lol: Too Funny :lol:


James do like I do, heat the grill up to like 450 after cooking( to clean it ) and once it hits the temp you want turn the gas off by shutting the tank off , it keeps the lines clean and free and then ya know the gas is off no matter what ya did with the burner knobs.

[jimnyc]

:lol: Too Funny :lol:


James do like I do, heat the grill up to like 450 after cooking( to clean it ) and once it hits the temp you want turn the gas off by shutting the tank off , it keeps the lines clean and free and then ya know the gas is off no matter what ya did with the burner knobs.

Yeah, I know, was dumb to leave the tank on like that, but I've been doing it for 15 years now. You should be fine that way so long as no one turns the burners on! But now I know it's better to be safe than sorry and just spend the extra 10 seconds to go underneath the grill and just turn everything off.

[aboutime]

I think my house would have been completely burned down if that were the case!



That's what I'm afraid of! The past thing the one firemen asked me was my number and full name. I assumed it was for paperwork, but maybe a bill? Yikes!



Only if I see a biker gang. He was going to get the "Vagos" after me!



On the tank, yes, it's counter clockwise to turn on. But the tank was always left on and controlled by the burner knobs on the grill itself, which are the opposite, clockwise to turn on. It's the actual grill that someone had turned into the on position when it was off earlier.


So. What does that tell you about leaving the tank turned on?????

[jimnyc]

So. What does that tell you about leaving the tank turned on?????

That if you do, you are running the risk of "burning down the house", even if it is a remote risk. 10 seconds of time isn't worth losing my house or risking lives over.

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[Voted4Reagan]

Maybe some banned board member stopped by while you were out.

Whitless and BillyBob were sighted in the area last night...

[Voted4Reagan]

http://youtu.be/rJY9X5SaIOQ

[KitchenKitten99]

Maybe some homeless guy or a nutty neighbor thought they'd use your grill while you were out because they don't have one?

Stranger things have happened to people.

Something seems off about what you wrote and the whole scene that went down.