A simple afternoon was cut short after the Winkler Fire Department was called to a home on Royal Crescent Tuesday.

A propane tank being used with a barbecue caught fire and firefighters rushed to the scene to deal with the incident.

"We arrived and sure enough, there was a barbecue tank shooting flame out the side and the situation was rapidly degrading and when the fire department arrived we cooled the situation down," says Fire Chief Richard Paetzold.

Paetzold says that due to the Stucco finish on the house a building fire was avoided, and no one was injured.

He also wants to let everyone know that they should perform regular safety checks on their barbecue.

"First thing is to make sure you test your gas grill each year to ensure you don't have any leaks. It's a good idea to make sure your gas grill, first of all, is clean, and then make sure to do a soapy water check to make sure all your fittings are all leak proof."

Over the winter months, small animals and insects trying to find a place to hide from the cold can damage a grills fittings and hoses, along with wear and tear of using a grill over the summer.

To learn how more about grill safety you can visit nfpa.org, to avoid any accidents and have a fun, and safe summer season.