Changing my name to Fireman941

Grouperman941 · December 17, 2014, 09:33:56 AM

... or maybe Grouperman911.

Had my first Bradley fire this morning. I was smoking 2 butts, and they had been in about 12 hours. I went out to check and noticed smoke coming out of the vent of my enclosure. Hmm, I thought, Thinking somehow the last puck pushed onto the plate. Then I noticed the PID temp up to 250. It took a minute to figure out there must be a fire. Opened the door to see flames coming off of the drip tray. Remembered to close the door. Went to get the bag of baking soda I keep for this purpose. It was not opened. Cursed Christmas because everybody wrapping presents means I can't find the scissors. Remembered my poultry shears. Cut open the bag.

Opened the door and put out the fire with a well placed toss of the baking soda. The fire must have just started because there doesn't seem to be any damage to anything, and both butts came out unscathed. They are finishing in the oven.

Not sure how this happened. The tray was clear of debris. Shiny even. There was some beef fat on it from the batches of jerky I did before the butts went in, but I figured that would just run down into the tray.

If this was one of my first smokes, I might be afraid to do a butt again.

Jim O · December 17, 2014, 10:21:01 AM

Good thinking with the baking soda! Glad there was no real damage .

Habanero Smoker · December 17, 2014, 01:07:02 PM

Sorry to hear about the fire, but glad to read there was minimal damage; if any.

This is a good time to post this link, again.

What To Do Incase Of A Bradley Fire

ragweed · December 17, 2014, 01:38:09 PM

Glad to hear you and presumably, the Bradley are okay.

dave01 · December 17, 2014, 01:56:25 PM

Lucky you caught it when you did.

KyNola · December 17, 2014, 05:00:42 PM

Quick thinking on your part! Glad you caught it in time.

Quarlow · December 17, 2014, 07:54:31 PM

Glad it came out alright. I have a question for you guys. I remember when I was a kid you could buy these small can fire extinguishers that I believe dispensed CO2. We used them to freeze spiders and other things, like fingers and grapes and such. ....OK well anything we could think of. LOL Is there anything like this on the market. They would be great for a fire in the smoker as you could dispense it threw the vent and snuff the fire. I wondered if those air dusters gave off co2 perhaps some other aerosol can. I would have to get something that would act as an accelerant. I know the merits of this type. With a grease fire you need enough to take the heat out or it will reignite so co2 is not the best, but in a closed environment it will control quickly so you can deal with it more thoroughly.

tskeeter · December 18, 2014, 10:02:50 AM

Grouperman, thanks for sharing your story. It reminds me that I should put a good fire extinguisher in the smoker shed. And probably a second fire extinguisher in the garage next to the door that goes out to the smoker shed.

tskeeter · December 18, 2014, 10:56:27 AM

Guys, been researching fire extinguishers. CO2 versions (no residue) are available. But they are kind of pricey, often have a hazmat fee included in the shipping cost (think about $50 for shipping), are heavy (due to the pressurized tank), and must be discharged to be pressure tested once very five years (or discharged and replaced). I did stumble across a possible alternative called a kitchen fire extinguisher. They are designed for use in restaurant kitchens and have an A-K rating. The key is that they claim no residue to clean up. And they do not seem to have some of the disadvantages of CO2 extinguishers. Might be worth some consideration for a fire in a smoker.

Gafala · December 18, 2014, 11:31:34 AM

You can also use these.

Halotron Fire Extinguisher is 2A:10BC:C Rated

Habanero Smoker · December 18, 2014, 12:53:12 PM

Your local fire department is a good resource to use to determine the type of extinguisher that is needed.

Grouperman941 · December 19, 2014, 01:06:39 PM

Another 10 minutes, and I would have used the extinguisher. I could see the source of the fire, and it was small. Another 20 minutes, and I would have had to call the FD. I was just lucky I checked when I did. Thanks for all the feedback.

Quarlow · December 20, 2014, 07:12:58 PM

Quote from: tskeeter on December 18, 2014, 10:56:27 AM
Guys, been researching fire extinguishers. CO2 versions (no residue) are available. But they are kind of pricey, often have a hazmat fee included in the shipping cost (think about $50 for shipping), are heavy (due to the pressurized tank), and must be discharged to be pressure tested once very five years (or discharged and replaced). I did stumble across a possible alternative called a kitchen fire extinguisher. They are designed for use in restaurant kitchens and have an A-K rating. The key is that they claim no residue to clean up. And they do not seem to have some of the disadvantages of CO2 extinguishers. Might be worth some consideration for a fire in a smoker.

The ones we had were in a can like a paint can. I know they set up large systems on the big tugboats and fishing vessels with large tanks like the acetylene tanks for welding. Those are just a little to big. LOL

tskeeter · December 22, 2014, 08:59:30 AM

When I was looking at CO2 fire extinguishers on Amazon, I did see a model or two that matched Quarlow's description. Spray paint can size. so a person should be able to get their hands on whatever size CO2 extinguisher they want.

WoodlawnSmoker · December 22, 2014, 11:45:38 AM

Wow, thanks for sharing, glad you got it under control. I am kind of paranoid this will happen to me as I smoke in a detached garage and don't always have a close eye on the smoker. Since day one I have had an ABC fire extinguisher close to the smoker. For sure it will leave residue but you almost need that range of extinguisher to take care of a grease fire or electrical fire. I figure I'll worry about clean-up after the fire is out.