Do you have a Perfect Flame gas grill? Then read this

Owners of Perfect Flame gas grills should be especially cautious as they fire them up for the July 4th weekend … or at any other time for that matter. What appeared to be a limited fire and burn hazard with some models may be much wider than anyone realized.

Last August, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of one model, the Perfect Flame GAC3615, due to fire and burn hazards. The cooking chamber of those grills can "melt or ignite" according to the recall notice.

But our readers are telling us that's not the only volatile model. In fact, after our August 13, 2008 blog post "Does the Perfect Flame grill recall go far enough?" suggesting that the recall was too narrow, we received more than 100 responses from readers who own the Perfect Flame SLG2006 and the SLG2007 models. Their grills have also melted or caught on fire.

The number of complaints and severity of the incidents we've heard about are very concerning.  We are currently collecting additional information that we hope will be used to address the hazards with these grills. In the meantime, take these precautions before using your Perfect Flame SLG2006 or SLG2007 grill:

• Check the burner tubes for holes or cracks. If you find any, replace the necessary parts before using the grill.
• When cooking, watch the grill at all times. Do not leave it unattended even just to preheat.
• Look for unusual flame patterns. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, shut off the gas and step away from the grill until it cools down.

Some of our readers have reported that when the grill catches on fire the flames can produce bright white light indicative of burning magnesium.  If that happens, be careful—water and carbon dioxide fire extinguishers will not put out a fire containing burning magnesium. Instead, you must either use a Class D dry chemical fire extinguisher or cover the fire with sand.  Better yet, call the fire department.

If you've experienced problems with the Perfect Flame or with fires, melting or deformation of any gas grill, please comment on this posting and be sure to report it to us as well as to the CPSC. The CPSC's recall system relies heavily on consumer complaints and without them many problem products wouldn't be recalled. Sharing this information with Consumer Reports can help us accomplish our mission of reducing the number of unsafe products in the marketplace and help protect consumers from serious injury.

Grill safety
No matter what grill you are using, follow this safety advice:

• Replace cracked or brittle propane hoses or gas lines.
• Check hoses for gas leaks by applying a mixture of dishwashing soap and water. Bubbles indicate a leak.  Replace as needed.
• Do not attempt to repair the valve on a gas tank or the grill yourself.  Take the grill to a liquid-propane dealer or qualified appliance-repair service.
• Regularly empty grease pans, trays, or receptacles to minimize fire hazards.
• Never start a charcoal fire with gasoline.
• Never add lighter fluid to a charcoal fire after the fire has started; the flame can follow the stream of fluid to its source.
• Never use an outdoor grill indoors or in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch, or under a surface that can catch fire. Also, keep the grill at least 10 feet away from your house and other structures.

For more on grills, read our gas grill buying guide (with Ratings for subscribers).—Molly Glauberman