I know that a lot of people will be grilling and barbecuing and I was told that it’s against the law for us to use our grill on our balcony. We live in an apartment complex. True?
— Cheryl J.

ANSWER
If apartment decks or balconies are constructed of combustible material, the city fire code doesn’t allow certain types of cooking devices: charcoal grills, solid fuel cooking appliances, smokers, oil fryers, hibachis and any other type of open-flame cooking device. None of these can be used within 10 feet of any combustible construction.
So, if your balcony, porch or lanai — or apartment building or house — is wood, common sense dictates no open flames. And take that turkey way out in the open if you want to fry up the bird.
If you have an electric grill or an LP gas grill with a tank size of 20 pounds or less, you can show off your barbecuing skills to your heart’s content. No apartment restrictions.
However, you can’t store that spare LP-gas cylinder on balconies made of combustible material, inside your apartments or in the interior of an apartment building.
The fire department’s Web site on springsgov.com reports that charcoal grills, smokers, and wood cookers have caused several apartment fires locally.
So, happy grilling and be safe.

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