Can A Pellet Grill Catch On Fire

2 firefighters putting out a fire

“Whenever you are cooking with an open fire on any type of grill there is always a chance of a fire!”

Does a pellet grill come with a higher chance of catching on fire?

There are some horror stories about pellet grills catching on fire and the fire even jumping over to the house.

What Is Causing A Pellet Grill Fire?

In a pellet grill, the only place where is a fire is in the burn pot. So, most of the fires start around there.

Once in a while, you hear something about an electrical fire but these are very exceptional.

The most heard cause of a fire in a pellet grill is that the grease is catching on fire.

5 Tips To Prevent A Pellet Grill Fire

Since most fires start in or around the burn pot it is important to keep these tips in mind while you are using a pellet grill.

  • Grease built up.

One of the most heard things is that there is grease built up in the pellet grill and to be more specific, on the drip tray that moves the grease into the grease bucket.

  • Too many pellets in the fire pot.

Pellets can pile up in the burn pot for several reasons. Moisture is one of them. This makes the pellets clump together and causes too many pellets in the fire pot.

  • Start up problems.

The start-up of a pellet grill has to be done in the right order. If the auger feeds pellets and the igniting rod does not get started at the same time there might be too many pellets in the fire pot when the ignition starts.

  • Dirty pellet grill.

For a pellet grill, it is very important to clean it after every use. Especially grease needs to be removed from the inside.

  • Electrical fire.

Although these are exceptional there is a change for them. Make sure that moisture or dampness can not get into the electric part of your pellet grill and do not operate it in the rain.

What To Do In Case Of A Pellet Grill Fire?

A fire needs 3 things.

  • Heat
  • Oxygen
  • Fuel

By removing one of these three fire will die out.

One of the first things to do is unplug the cord from the outlet. This will stop the auger and the feeding of pellets (fuel) into the grill.

This will probably be not enough to stop the fire instantly so the next step is to close the grill. This will take care of the oxygen part.

If this does not do the trick here is one very important tip: DO NOT USE WATER!

Water on a possible grease fire will only cause more problems.

Use a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket!

For more information, you can read my post on the best fire extinguisher for the grill.

5 Tips To Avoid A Pellet Grill Fire

  • Keep your pellet grill clean.
  • Watch for grease built up
  • Watch for pellets to build up in the fire pot
  • Pay special attention during start-up

Pellet Grill Fires – My Thoughts

Pellet grills are in general very safe to use and when used the right way and kept clean the chance of them catching on fire is very slim.

In all the reviews I did on pellet grills there are not too many that mention fire problems.

Another tip is not to place the grill too close to any structure so in case of a fire it will stay in that area.

Eddie van Aken

Eddie van Aken has years of experience in running his full-service restaurant and with this came working with using and dealing with all types of kitchen equipment. With his experience, he can find all the pros and cons of grills and add them to the grill reviews he is doing. You can read more on the about page for Eddie van Aken

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