I just caught part of a programme demonstrating the safety issues connected with the portable BBQs in foil trays that are so cheap and handy for a camping trip.
One couple had used theirs to cook supper then waited for it to go out, no burning embers, cool to the touch. It was drizzling outside so they took it in their tent and zipped up for the night. In the morning, the gentleman was dizzy and disorientated. His girlfriend had died during the night.
Despite the lack of heat from the embers, the BBQ was still emitting carbon dioxide.
A fireman ran a similar scenario with the embers slightly warm. The carbon dioxide reached danger level within 3 minutes inside the zipped up tent. He said that 6 hours at that level proves fatal.
Please, enjoy the food but then, whatever the weather, leave the thing outside. This goes for camper vans and any other enclosed area.
I missed the beginning of the report by a couple of minutes but it sounded as though not all of the charcoal had been burned so they were going to re-use it. It started to drizzle so they brought it inside after making sure there was nothing glowing and it was cool to the touch.
how sad....not sure why you would put it in your tent though....ever!
Jerry - you are of course correct. It should have read monoxide. Serves me right for rushing.
I suppose the risk with camping is people may be tempted to put a still warm BBQ inside a tent to take the evening chill off but Romuald uses the right phrase, silent killer. The report said the danger mainly comes from people assuming that because the fire is out it renders it safe - they proved the opposite with the meter.
50 years ago, everybody knew the danger of fire and carbon monoxide... Still, there were accidents. During the winter night, it was a silent killer.