Why My Traeger Caught On Fire

You were carelessly cooking on your grill and all of a sudden you saw flames coming out of your grill and the reason is unknown to you? Or you were going to start cooking and as you turned on the grill it caught on fire but you don’t know what happened?

Here I will tell you about the reasons why any cooking appliance can catch fire easily, especially the ones that use pellet as a fuel source. Mostly when a cooking appliance catches fire, this fire may be a pellet fire, a grease fire, or an insulation blanket fire.

But how does fire catches the equipment through different methods? Your answer is written below read it carefully.

Why My Traeger Caught On Fire - Reasons Of Fire

Whenever there is a fire around you just stay calm and think of a solution to get out of this situation. But this Traeger fire isn’t so dangerous in most cases. But sometimes, it may prove dangerous enough to burn everything around itself. The reason and the kind of fire it catches are :

Grease Or Fats Fire

As represented by the name this fire is caused due to the overflow of grease towards the open fire or flames. When the grease flows towards the flames it catches fire and if remains unchecked it will cause the whole Traeger to burn within a short time. There are many reasons for the flow of grease towards the open flame and these reasons are:

• When you do not place the drip tray or liner properly
• When the drip tray is damaged it will leak out the fat to the flames
• Improper placement of tin foil
• When the dripping tunnel is clogged or the drip tray is full

Things You Can Do To Avoid Grease Fire

To avoid this type of fire there are several precautions that you should follow strictly to reduce the fire risk and the risk of burning your food. These precautions are a must to follow while cooking.

• Do not cook for 20 hours straight without cleaning the grill
• If the food has more fat content, clean the drip tray after every cooking or so
• Make sure the smooth flow of grease into the grease tray or grease bucket
• Before cooking, make sure that the grill is cleaned properly

Wood Pellets Fire

This type of fire is caused when the firepot is off while the auger is still working.

When the auger works, it feeds the wood pellets to the firepot and the firepot burns them but when the firepot is off while the auger is working, the auger supplies the pellets to the firepot while wood pellets are not burning due to which large buildup of pellets is formed on the firepot.

A common question is can my Traeger get wet is answered and it will surely resolve your question whether you can cook in rain or not.

When the firepot stacked with these wood pellets burns, it causes sudden fire and your Traeger starts burning. There are several reasons due to which you can face such problems and the reason due to which it happens are:

• When you do not shut off the grill properly
• When you do not start up your grill properly
• Pellets are not in their proper place
• The firepot turns off while the grill is still on

Things You Can Do To Avoid Pellet Fire

This fire can be caused by some of the following factors that are not rare. Make sure to avoid these things to perform safer cooking. 

• Do not start your grill improperly
• Do not shut off your grill without a proper shut off cycle
• Do not feet the firepot directly always use a pellet hopper for feeding
• Check for the moisture in pellets

Insulation Blanket Fire

This fire only happens in winters when you use an insulation blanket to prevent heat loss from your device. This insulation blanket works greatly under certain conditions but sometimes it also becomes a danger. This type of fire occurs due to the insulation blanket. When the insulation blanket is not properly used or a smaller part of this blanket touches the fire, your Traeger catches fire. 

Things You Can Do To Avoid Blanket Fire

Things you should avoid so that you can perform safer cooking without the risk of fire are mentioned below

• Do not use the blanket unless the temperature drops below 30℉
• Set higher temperatures of the grill when you want to cook during colder weather

These were the kinds of fire that your Traeger can catch but we have also provided you the solutions so that you can avoid any fire risk and cook safely.

What To Do If Traeger Catches Fire

You need proper guidance on what to do if the Traeger catches fire. The complete guide with step by step instructions are mentioned below:

• The most important thing you can do is to keep your mind calm during such situations as you can think of more solutions with a calm mind
• Turn off the grill either by pulling the switch off the grill or by turning its knobs(if Possible) 
• If you see any fire through grates, close the lid immediately and cut off the supply of pellets through the hopper
• Remove the objects that can catch fire easily and are near the grill
• Water and flour can spread the fire instead of cooling it so avoid using water and flour

This is the simplest guide you can use to get rid of the fire avoiding any health risk. If you are considering to upgrade the model then check our article on Traeger Pro 575 Vs Ironwood 650 to find the best possible option.

Conclusion

When any of the cooking appliances catch fire, the main reason behind this fire is carelessness or treating the device improperly. When you don’t take care of your device it will wear out or catch fire easily. So Why My Traeger Caught On Fire has a simple answer that is improper usage. If you use it properly, following all the above-mentioned precautions and methods, there is no chance that your grill will catch fire except for the external factors