Hosting Thanksgiving outdoors: patio heaters, fire pits, grills and keeping the food safe

An outdoor Thanksgiving trades a crowded dining room for three new jobs: keeping people warm, keeping the fire where it belongs, and keeping the food out of the danger zone in the cold (or, in warm places, the heat). The fire service and federal agencies cover each part. Here are their rules in one place.

Patio heaters

From NFPA's outdoor heater fact sheet:

• Use only heaters listed for outdoor use, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for setup, clearances and fuel.
• Never use them in enclosed spaces. That includes a garage, a tent with the sides down or a fully enclosed porch.
• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away: tablecloths, napkins, umbrellas, string decorations, coats on chair backs, and people's legs.
• Gas hoses should be short, visible and protected from damage. Don't store propane cylinders inside a building.
• Electric heaters should be placed where they can't tip over. If you use an extension cord, it must be rated for the load and grounded, with one appliance per cord.
• Turn heaters off when the area is empty.

Seat older guests and anyone who gets cold first near the heat, and hand out blankets so no one drags a chair into the 3-foot zone. The older guests guide covers seating, steps and lighting.

Fire pits

From NFPA's fire-pit tips and the U.S. Fire Administration:

1. Check local rules first. Many areas need a permit or ban open fires during dry spells. Skip the fire on dry, windy days.
2. At least 10 feet from the house and anything that can burn, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. NFPA also says to keep it away from siding, decks, deck railings and grass.
3. A level, noncombustible surface, a spark screen over the top, and a clear, well-lit area with no trip hazards around it.
4. Seasoned hardwood only. Never use gasoline or other accelerants to start or revive a fire.
5. Kids and pets at least 3 feet back, and chairs set a safe distance away, NFPA says. Give every child a job away from the pit. The kids' table guide has ideas.
6. A hose, a bucket of water, or a shovel with dirt or sand within reach.
7. Put it out completely before you go inside. Once the ashes have cooled, put them in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid, away from anything that can burn.

Grills and smokers

If the turkey is going on the grill or smoker, USFA's rules: outside only, never on a porch or balcony, well away from siding and deck railings and out from under eaves and branches, with a 3-foot safe zone around it for kids and pets. Don't walk away from a lit grill, and put cooled coals in a metal can with a lid. The cooking methods guide has times and temperatures for grilled turkey, how to grill a turkey is the indirect-heat method, how to smoke a turkey covers the smoker, and deep-frying a turkey is the oil warning plus USDA's limits. The kitchen fire safety checklist is the rest of the day.

Carbon monoxide: keep fuel-burners outside

CDC says more than 400 people in the U.S. die each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires, more than 100,000 visit the emergency room and more than 14,000 are hospitalized. The danger rises when outdoor equipment moves indoors, which is exactly what happens when it rains or gets too cold:

• Never burn charcoal indoors. USFA adds that grills are for outside only; a garage counts as indoors.
• Never use a portable gas camp stove indoors, CDC says. NFPA says outdoor heaters don't belong in enclosed spaces either.
• Generators (if you're powering lights or a heater) run outside only, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, and never in the home or garage, even with the doors open.
• Check the CO detectors. CDC recommends battery-operated or battery-backup detectors near every sleeping area, which matters if guests stay over.

If the weather turns, bring the food and people in, not the heat sources.

Keeping the food safe outside

FDA's buffet rules don't change outdoors, but the weather makes them harder:

• Hot food at 140°F or above. Food cools quickly in cold air. Chafing dishes and slow cookers on a covered table help; keep backups in a 200 to 250°F oven, as FDA suggests, and bring out fresh dishes rather than topping up old ones. The slow-cooker sides guide covers holding sides hot.
• Cold food at 40°F or below. Set cold dishes on ice or keep them in a cooler until serving.
• The 2-hour clock. Perishables come in after 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's above 90°F. A cool day doesn't count as refrigeration: the outdoor air is rarely a steady 40°F or below.
• Cover the dishes between servings to keep out leaves, ash and insects.

The buffet guide has the full layout, and the fridge and cooler plan covers using coolers for overflow.

A quick outdoor checklist

• Heater or fire pit placed and tested the day before; clear zones marked (3 feet for heaters, 10 feet for fire pits).
• Local burn rules and the wind forecast checked that morning.
• A hose, bucket of water or shovel and sand by the fire pit; a metal can with a lid for ashes.
• Blankets, hand warmers and outdoor lighting set out before dark.
• Hot food in chafing dishes or slow cookers, cold food on ice, dishes covered.
• A rain plan that moves food and people inside, and leaves the grill, heater and charcoal outside.