Safety experts urge Northland residents to inspect grills and generators

Before the first cookout, check the equipment that can burn the house down

Northland homeowners heading into the busiest stretch of cookouts and yard work are being told to inspect grills, generators and lawn equipment now, before a small flaw turns into a fire, injury or insurance claim. The warning is especially relevant in St. Louis County, where wildfire, flooding, severe winter weather and pandemics all sit on the county’s list of top risks, and where the urban-wildland interface and the central and northern parts of the county face heightened wildfire concern.

Gas grills deserve the most attention. The National Fire Protection Association says gas grills were involved in an average of 9,287 home fires per year from 2019 through 2023, including 4,682 structure fires and 4,605 outdoor fires. In about one-fifth of those fires, the grill had not been cleaned. That is not a minor maintenance issue in a region that treats outdoor cooking as a summer ritual. It is a direct path from a messy grate or damaged hose to a fire call.

Start with the grill, not the recipe

The safest pre-weekend move is to inspect the grill before lighting it for the season. Check propane grills for rust, worn parts and loose connections, make sure the tank is properly connected and look for leaks before you cook. Those basic steps matter because even a small gas problem can become a flare-up fast, especially once the grill is hot and people are gathered nearby.

Miles Boone of ASP Mesaba says it can be worth calling a professional when equipment needs attention instead of relying on a do-it-yourself video. That advice fits a problem that often starts with confidence and ends with damage. If a grill has been sitting through the winter, if the burner assembly looks corroded or if you smell gas, it is time to slow down and have it checked before you use it.

Timing also matters. NFPA says July is the peak month for home grilling fires, followed by June, May and August. That pattern lines up with the season when grills are getting the most use, which is exactly why small maintenance steps in late spring can prevent a larger problem in the middle of summer.

Generator safety is about carbon monoxide as much as electricity

Generators can be a lifesaver during outages, but they come with a serious hazard that residents cannot see or smell. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says portable generators produce carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can kill without warning. Ready.gov says generators should be used outdoors in well-ventilated areas away from doors, windows and vents, and the U.S. Fire Administration says carbon monoxide alarms should be installed in the home.

That guidance is critical in a county where storms and outages can make a portable generator feel like a practical backup. Boone also points to the maintenance side of the problem: annual service, oil changes, battery checks and inspection of electrical connections. A generator that has sat unused for months may still start, but that does not mean it is safe or ready to carry a load.

Before the first outage, make a point to:

• test the generator in a safe outdoor space
• inspect cords and electrical connections for wear
• check oil and battery condition
• confirm that carbon monoxide alarms are working inside the home
• keep the unit far from any doorway, window or vent

If a generator has needed repeated repairs, that is another moment to consider professional help rather than improvising. The danger is not only to the machine. It is to everyone inside the house.

Lawn equipment can spark its own kind of trouble

The risk does not stop at the grill and generator. Steve Broome of Burggraf’s Ace Hardware says mowers, trimmers and leaf blowers should be inspected before their first use in spring and early summer. He points to the simple problems that show up after storage: damage, stale fuel and weather-related wear.

That kind of maintenance is easy to put off until the grass gets high, but it pays to catch problems early. A mower with a damaged line, a trimmer with old fuel or a leaf blower with a cracked part can fail at the moment you need it most. Broome’s advice is a reminder that equipment tucked away since last season may have been quietly degrading the whole time.

University of Minnesota Extension adds another layer of practical guidance for yard care. It says sharp mower blades are important for healthy grass, and that regular mowing at the proper height helps lawns stay vigorous. That is not just about curb appeal. A clean cut reduces stress on the lawn and helps homeowners avoid the kind of overgrown, rushed mowing that can lead to broken parts, clogs or avoidable strain on equipment.

Why this hits harder in St. Louis County

This warning carries extra weight in St. Louis County because the region’s risk profile already includes wildfire. County firewise materials say escaped debris fires are the number one cause of wildfires in Minnesota, and county planning documents identify central and northern St. Louis County, along with the urban-wildland interface, as places where wildfire risk is greatest.

Duluth’s changing winds also matter. A calm backyard can turn unsettled quickly, and a shift in weather can carry embers, blow heat toward a structure or make it harder to control a flame once something goes wrong. That is why these checks are more than seasonal chores. They are a direct part of fire prevention in a county where emergency planning already has to account for weather, terrain and homes built close to wooded areas.

The larger lesson is simple: convenience should not outrun maintenance. A dirty grill, a generator stored without a real checkup or a mower that has not been inspected since last year can turn an ordinary weekend into a call for help. In St. Louis County, where fire risk is already part of everyday planning, the safest move is to inspect now, repair before use and treat every piece of summer equipment as if one loose connection could make all the difference.