Santa Ana Winds, Ash and Your Outdoor Kitchen

Santa Ana winds blow from the high desert down through the mountain passes and canyons toward the coast, usually in fall and winter. The air is very dry and gusts can be strong, particularly below passes and canyons in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica Mountains and in the foothills. Three things follow for anyone with an outdoor kitchen:

• Fire risk. Embers or sparks travel far in that wind, and dry vegetation catches easily. Open-flame cooking outdoors becomes riskier, and local fire authorities sometimes restrict it during Red Flag Warnings.
• Blowing debris. Leaves, palm fronds, dust and grit pack into grill hoods, burner areas and vents.
• Ash. When fires are burning anywhere upwind, ash can settle on homes far from the fire itself. Ash is alkaline and mildly corrosive when it gets wet, and it can carry residue from burned buildings.

Ash from wildfires is fine, gritty and alkaline. Wiping it dry grinds it across stainless and leaves fine scratches. Wetting it heavily turns it into a caustic slurry that runs into seams and drains. The approach that works is gentle and low-water.

A grill that was near flames or extreme heat may look fine and still be unsafe. Heat can damage parts you can't see from the outside.

• Don't turn the gas back on until it's been checked if the area was evacuated, if your gas utility shut off service, or if the grill was exposed to heat. For natural gas, SoCalGas or your utility has to restore service to the meter; don't try to relight appliances yourself until that's done.
• Look at the hose and regulator. Rubber hoses that are hardened, cracked, blistered or melted must be replaced. Plastic regulator housings that are warped are done.
• Check propane tanks. A cylinder with blistered paint, a damaged valve, or heat discoloration should be taken out of service. Your propane supplier can tell you how to dispose of it.
• Inspect knobs and wiring. Melted knobs, scorched wiring and cracked igniter ceramics are signs of high heat.
• Do a leak test on every connection before lighting. Our soap test guide walks through it.

If anything looks off, have it inspected before use. A grill inspection covers the gas connections, valves, burners and ignition and tells you exactly what's safe.

Even without fire, a strong Santa Ana event can leave a grill with problems. Gusts can tip freestanding grills, which can kink or pull on a gas hose or crack a regulator. Debris blown into the burner area can block ports and give you uneven flames the next time you cook. Covers that weren't tied down end up three yards over. After the wind, look the grill over, clear any debris, and if it was knocked over or the hose looks stressed, check the connections before you light it.