A grease fire after you think you are done is fat that is still raining onto a hot tent, a packed V-tray, or a cup that overflowed onto the tank. It is not “the grill is possessed” and it is not the same ticket as low flame after a tank change.
During the fire
- Tank valve off (or NG cock off). That is the only fuel shutoff that matters.
- Knobs off. Do not yank the hose if it is in flame.
- If the fire is inside the box: lid down. Starving it beats a face full of flare. If the fire is in the cabinet / on the tank: lid position will not help — extinguisher from a distance, then get back.
- Do not hit grease with a garden hose (steam + splatter). Do not dump flour.
- When flames are out, stay off the valves. Let the box cool. A hidden drip can relight.
- If the hose, regulator, or tank collar was in the fire, that hardware is scrap. Do not “see if it still works.”
- After cold: empty the grease tray, scrape the rail, check the firebox drain hole, replace heat plates that are missing peaks.
- Before the next cook: soap the tank coupling. If you smell gas, stop. Repair vs replace if the lid paint is peeled to bare metal and the floor has daylight.
FAQ
Should I open the lid to see a grease fire?
Not if the fire is in the cook box. Opening feeds it. Cabinet/tank fires are a different geometry — extinguisher, distance, tank off.
Is a regulator reset the fix?
Only if the symptom after the event is weak burners from a tripped excess-flow valve. The fire itself was grease. Clean the path or the next cook repeats.