Gas grill fire emphasizes safety precautions

Dear Heloise: I was grilling some steaks the other day when the “slide-out tray” under our natural-gas grill caught on fire. It spread from just a spot to nearly the whole grill in seconds. We have two home fire extinguishers, but I was not as familiar as I should have been with their operation.

I work in the medical field, where we have fire drills regularly, and can operate commercial extinguishers, but the smaller home canisters have a thumb pad on top to press. If you don’t have a fire extinguisher at home, get one! If you have one, know how to operate it before it’s needed.

Also, if you have a gas grill, regularly clean the tray under the burners where grease drips down and funnels into the drip pan. Then change the drip pan regularly as well. Sara S., Dallas

Folks, learn to use your home fire extinguisher. If you are unsure how to use one, call your fire department for help. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Here is my way to keep important papers safe: Scan them into a computer. Most Internet providers offer free storage for photos. Since the scanned sheet is in a photo format, it can be stored indefinitely. If the information should change, just rescan, save and delete the old.

Another benefit is that if your house burns down or a thief steals everything, you still have the information at your fingertips. This also can be important if you are on vacation and lose your credit cards, passport or reservation. You can retrieve the information from anywhere in the world. Also copy it onto a CD for local storage. Mike Kormanik, Staten Island, N.Y.

Dear Heloise: When I can’t squeeze any more hand cream out of those semi-soft plastic containers, I cut the sealed bottom off, and there is plenty left. To keep the rest of the cream from hardening, I fold the container over and use an office binder clip to keep it closed. When I can’t reach what’s left with a finger, I cut more of the tube off. You’d be surprised at how much more you can get out. Judi Rollnick, Hopatcong, N.J.

Dear Heloise: I have limited hand/finger function in both hands. I have difficulty swiping my card through the ATM slot. My solution is to carry a small pair of needle-nose pliers in my waist pack. I simply put the card between the tips and insert the card, then continue on with my transaction.

I read your column every day in the (Waterville, Maine) Morning Sentinel. I enjoy the column very much, but really enjoy Saturday’s column for the pet ideas and photos. Smokey, my cat, says “meow,” and I say “thank you!” Roger P., Waterville, Maine

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate