Virginia bans grilling at multi-family dwellings

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | October 22, 2003 | By CINDY CLAYTON

[SWO]

This is an incredibly paternalistic bit of legislation. Especially noteworthy is the rigorous research which preceded the creation of the law, as the following demonstrates, "Dean said Tuesday he did not have statistics on fires caused by grills in apartments or other multi-unit buildings."

Luckily we have also banned grilling with large capacity propane tanks. Pretty soon we can impose either a one barbeque a month limit, or licensing. And to top it off the nice folks in Virginia Beach apparently couldn’t wait so they started enforcing the law early.

"Virginia Beach fire inspectors started spreading the word last year, when they learned that the new code could be adopted, "

One more law "For the Children".

[SWO]

Sizzle, or whatwever the noise is the gas grill makes when it goes off, pop?

[tet68]

From my greasy BBq sauce covered fingers.

[tubebender]

Trouble at the Ponderosa...

[per loin]

Using fire for cooking is too new and powerful a technology for common folks to be trusted with.

[SandRat]

Something tells me that at the next election it won't be steaks, burgers, and hot dogs that get grilled.

Can you say dumb politicians.

[Leisler]

Not politicians. It isn't a law. It is a "code". The Fire bureaucrats did it.

As our society gotten wealthier, and building better, there has been less fire per person per structure per year. So, lay off Firemen? Heck no, invent more code violations. Basically busy work to keep the featherbedding going. Propane cigarette lighters next.

[nothingnew]

This shiite is way over the top...these a-holes have to push the envelope beyond our "tolerance"...there will be blood in the streets my friends, brought on by the marxist sob's who have all the say in this country...mark my words.

FMCDH

[Consort]

Can they sauté?

[Ches]

So far the only thing I have managed to set ablaze while B-B-Qing is my beard and eyebrows ( I was wearing a hat ) and A couple $ worth of chicken. Let them pass a law against that! :):)

[sultan88]

"Anyone violating the state's new fire prevention code can be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor..."

The article is not clear on how this code was passed. Certainly not by the GOP controlled House of Delegates, I would hope. Is it a Mark Warner-Executive Branch directive??

[Az Joe]

Why not leave it up to the managers of the property? They can set their own rules for hours of use and types of fires allowed.

Has there been a rash of "BBQs gone wild"?

[_Jim]

As of Oct. 1, it's illegal to use an open-flame grill on wooden balconies or on patios within 10 feet of a combustible building?

Hmmm ... I see a solution - grill out away from the building, at least 11 feet away from it (like out on the grass between buildings)!

[_Jim]

A November 2000 fire caused by an unattended balcony grill in the complex off Independence Boulevard destroyed 20 apartments

... along with bowling trophies, treasured pictures, thousands in cash and probably more than one nice hunting rifle -

- wouldn't you hate that it if that happened to you?

[general_re]

Ya know, when I left New York to come to Virginia, the idea was to get away from this kind of crap, not have it transplant along with me...

[JSteff]

This is already a law in a large number of municipalities in the U.S. Obviously it is not the grills fault but the idiot users that are not attentive to their grilling.

[Viking2002]

Looks like Virginians have a fire marshal to get rid of.

The worst I've ever had happen to me was when I was smoking two whole hams - I pulled the dome off of the smoker, and in a momentary lapse of common sense, I stuck my face straight down over it. Now, folks, hams have a lot of fat. A LOT. And it always finds a way to reach the coals (gravity can sometimes be your worst enemy). When the lid came off, all of that dripping, smoldering, molten pig squeezin's found a rich source of oxygen. What entailed was something out of a Road Runner cartoon; or, more appropriately, the last vision the Pompeiians saw when Mt. Vesuvius went up: a column of fire belching into the heavens. With my face in the median.

My sister will never let me forget the Christmas I spent with my eyelashes burned off right down to the follicles. LOL

[StriperSniper]

``The biggest thing is to understand the intent of it.''

Control of all to the standards set by the lowest common denominator, we understand.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Yep. It is the rule at the complex I live in now.

There was only one nitwit who charred the support beam for the balcony but the manager was told that she couldn't just tell him that he couldn't have a grill while the rest of us used ours so we all are grill-less on our patios.

We do have a small area where we can grill that is away from the building.

[Moonman62]

Why not leave it up to the managers of the property? They can set their own rules for hours of use and types of fires allowed.

Because the same people who are calling the fire marshall a nazi will call the all the property managers nazis. That's too much work.