Propane grilling on roofs?
For Christmas I bought my boyfriend a tiny propane grill to use on our apartment’s roof. Looking for someplace to buy propane, we learned instead that it’s actually illegal to use propane grills on rooftops. Is this a law people take seriously or tend to disobey? We’d never leave the grill unattended, of course… http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/safety/barbeque.shtml
For Christmas I bought my boyfriend a tiny propane grill to use on our apartment’s roof. Looking for someplace to buy propane, we learned instead that it’s actually illegal to use propane grills on rooftops.
Is this a law people take seriously or tend to disobey? We’d never leave the grill unattended, of course…
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/safety/barbeque.shtml
This is easily solved. Bring the bbq downstairs and do your grilling in the front of your house. Assuming you don’t live in a huge building, no one will care. Folks on my block (we have front gardens) do it all the time.
Once it cools off, bring it back upstairs (store on fire-escape if you don’t want it in the apartment.
If you are only talking about a tiny grill…this should be no problem.
Safe and easy.
Sorry to also rain on the parade, but it is totally against NYC fire codes and your building will be fined if some nosey neighbor decides to report you. Also, if your building finds out or gets fined, you could be evicted(especially if you’re renting in a co-op building).
Working late tonight but that gave me a chance to speak to the Fire Marshall involved in both of the propane tank fires that I knew about. He said that both fires occurred when the grills were used for the first time after the tanks had been stored for the winter. He said that this is because the tubes that lead into the burners were blocked with bugs and grease winter storage. As far as cooking on your stove, that may be more dangerous than a grill, I don’t know but I do know that that cooking in the kitchen on a gas stove is legal. If you burn your house down trying to boil water and someone is injured or worst, you will not go to jail.
Alsawo, I know that my opinion, and that is all that this is, is not in the majority but don’t do it. Just know that if you do and you happen to be the one who sets Brooklyn ablaze this summer, the powers that be can track you back to this blog and know that knew better. Just Kidding – but not really.
Anyone care to explain how a gas-powered cooking device is any more dangerous on a roof than it is in, say, your kitchen.
I don’t know about you, but I have four open burners AND an oven in my kitchen. And there’s a lot more crap that can catch on fire in there. Of course, should a fire start in my kitchen — due to grease, spills, a dish-towel too close to a flame — and burn the block down, I’d feel like a total ass and be overcome with guilt.
So maybe we should make stoves illegal.
Of course, alsawo, the fact of the matter is it’s still illegal. I’ve kept a wood-fired SMOKER on a roof deck. I’ve seen plenty of gas ones. So knock yourself out. And be very careful.
Just don’t be one of those people who comes back in the forum in a state of righteous indignation if you DO get ticketed for breaking the law 🙂
Hardwood charcoal from Trader Joe’s is the best. Soaked chips or chunks from fruit woods (cherry, apple, pear) are also great for flavor. But NEVER, NEVER put those in a grill that is made for gas. The hardwood coals will melt through the aluminum castings and drip onto the rubber hoses. I learned that lesson the hard way a long time ago.
Fire Alarm Guy…I gotta agree that those small ones are a lot more poorly constructed than the large ones and probably more dangerous.. Besides, the larger ones have gotten quite cheap over the years. That said, the construction quality reflects it and there’s nothing better than a Ducane.
I use charcoal because its so readily available at the bodegas, the food tastes better and its easy to start anyway.
It is true that it is illegal to transport propane tanks through the tunnels. I had a box full of the little canisters for a small heater for use during the December ice storm in New England at a property I have there. I called Port Authority and they said no propane of any size may go through the tunnels.
Actually if a grill is going to be a fire hazard it is usually one of the little guys because they are poorly constructed and tend to rot out and they are so low to the ground that grease dripping out could flare up. It is incredibly unlikely but I would spend the extra $40 and get a grill with legs. Your back will thank you. Besides the little guys don’t put off enough heat to do a good steak justice. As far as getting caught I wouldn’t sweat it as long as smoke isn’t blowing into your neighbors open windows.
DIBS, a wealth of propane information.
Chosen, a burger buzzkill 🙂
Chosen, care to elaborate on the propane fires? We can all visualize how a charcoal related fire can start, but propane grill related fires? They must have been extremely careless idiots to cause a fire.