Every year U.S. fire departments respond to nearly 10,000 home fires involving grills, hibachis or barbecues, according to the National Fire Protection Association. That's a staggering number — not least because I didn't know that hibachis still existed. On a serious note, these statistics should not be taken lightly as these fires result in an average of 10 civilian deaths each year, 160 reported injuries, and more than $13 million in direct property damage.

Of the nearly 10,000 fires each year, 4,100 are structure fires and 5,500 are outside property / unclassified damage. Almost all of the $13 million in losses each year are from the structure fires. That's an average of $31,000 and change per structure damaged — these aren't little fires.

1. Clean the grill

So how can you avoid becoming one of these grim statistics? As with most risk management, it's easier than you think. The same NFPA report previously mentioned tells us that 22% of the structure fires were the result of a grill that hadn't been cleaned. If you are anything like me, taking time to clean the grill before each use seems like a messy and unpleasant chore that seems to yield minimal benefit — after all, the chicken will taste the same whether I tidy up or not, right? But, that 22% number is eye-catching.