Essential grilling safety tips for your summer cookouts

With July 4th right around the corner, outdoor barbecues are sure to be a popular item on the agenda. Before lighting up the grill this summer, take note of a few critical grilling safety tips to keep people and property safe from the dangerous fire hazards that come with outdoor grilling. From 2013-2017, grills, hibachis and barbecues were involved in 10,200 home fires per year. These fires were responsible for at least 10 deaths, 160 reported injuries, and $123 million in property damage. July (17%) is the peak month for grill fires, followed by June (14%), May (13%) and August (12%), according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). To stay safe this summer, check out 11 grilling safety tips in the slideshow above, provided by the NFPA. Related: 10 summer home maintenance tips