FIRE!!!!!!

We had some excitement today. I was trying to bbq a steak for Gerald for dinner. When I turned on the propane grill, only the right side lit up even though the gas was on for the right and the left. No problem. I'll cook on the right. I went inside to finish dinner.

After about 10 minutes, I looked outside and saw that the grill was on fire. Even though the lid was closed, flames were coming out of it and from underneath the grill. Panic set in.

How do I put out a propane fire? Water? Flour? Baking soda?
Will this blow up? When? How?
Should I get a neighbor? Call 911? Yeah. Call 911.

On the phone she asked me a bunch of questions, but wouldn't tell me how to put out the fire. The propane knob was stuck and very hot! I grabbed the big box of baking soda and shook it all over the fire. It went out on top, but flames were still pouring out from the bottom. Then I remembered the fire extinguisher in the garage. I ran out to get it and Gerald was pulling up. I was waving wildly and screaming FIRE!!! Neighbors were starting to notice the fire and coming out of their houses. It turns out the fire extinguisher was dead. Gerald pulled the fire-laden grill away from the house while I stood far away telling him to get away from it:).

Luckily, the fire department is just up the road. They brought the big truck with all of the bells and whistles and 4 big firemen and calmly turned off the propane. Just like that--fire out. It turns out there was a leak in the propane hose and that's why the fire kept going underneath.

Good thing that I had strategically put out the fire to "save the steak" from the baking soda (haha). This post is dedicated to Nicole and Cedric who waited many years before getting a propane grill.

We put our grill out with the trash on Monday. May it rest in peace.