Propane is Explosive

Propane is explosive.

Somehow, for the last 63.7 years, this knowledge has largely evaded me.  At least in a personal sense.

No more.

Yesterday, I thought I might grill some salmon on a cedar plank.  Before final preparations on the salmon, I pulled the cover off my barbeque grill, dragged the grill out from where keep it under a portico on my back deck, and twisted open the valve on the attached propane tank.  A few minutes later, with my salmon plank in hand, I stepped outside and headed to the grill.

On the right side of my grill is a metal work platform.  On the left is an outside burner under a metal lid that must be opened before burner use.  When I reached the grill, I placed the plank on the work platform, cranked open all four burners for inside the grill, and punched the spark igniter.

WOOF!

A sort of mini atomic explosion mushroomed up on the left side of the grill.  Heat and flames enveloped my left arm and brushed against my face.  I quickly reached down and turned off the burner valves.  Only then did I notice I had somehow inadvertently opened the valve for the outside burner when I pulled the cover off the grill several minutes earlier.

Thankfully, other than a few singed hairs on my wrist, I was fine.

After the incident, I got to thinking about how complacent we become around all sorts of explosive stuff.  Not just barbeque grills.  Gas stoves.  Heaters.  Torches.  Even automobiles.

Lesson learned.

Next time I grill something, I will invite Kevin up for dinner and have him start the grill.   

—Mitchell Hegman