Canopy over the cooker?

Kirk

Kirk

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Has anyone ever run into trouble with the fire marshall for putting an EZ Up canopy over their cooker? The canopies are certified for a certain measure of fire resistance but the label clearly says to keep away from heat sources. I'm just wondering what I would do to shelter my WSM's at a contest if it was raining. I do it in my back yard all the time and have never had a problem but...
 
with a wsm i don't see you having any trouble but with the larger cookers i could see a problem with the marshall
 
Onlyonce did a fire marshall bust my chops. Podunk CT. They were lookign for some code on the label that wasnt there. I had to move the canopy away from the cooker.
 
In 14 contests, I've yet to see a fire marshall on site.
 
Me either. I wouldn't see a problem with WSMs.
 
I have seen the fire marshalls at several contests, they are usually just looking to ensure you have a current/charged fire extinguisher.

I have never had one bother me about keeping my cooker under the ez-up. That would go for my Home-made tank cooker, or the Kingfishers. I wouldnt worry about the WSMs at all - I see lots of folks cook on them under EZ-ups at contest even when the weather is great - and never be hassled.
 
This is really good to hear as I was a bit worried about it. At my one and only comp, the organizer suggested that I move my canopy before the fire marshall got there because he would surely give me a hard time. He never showed up but the health inspector did. He didn't give us any trouble though. He was more interested in what we were cooking than how we were handling / cooking it. This was the first comp that the organizer had been involved with, so maybe they were just a little jumpy their first time out.

I wouldn't want the cookers under the canopy unless it was raining and I doubt that a wet canopy would be likely to go up in flames. But..., whenever I assume that there will be no problem it always comes back to bite me in the arse.

Phil, what were you cooking on when they asked you to move the canopy? Do you think it would've mattered if you were cooking on something different?
 
Onlyonce did a fire marshall bust my chops. Podunk CT.
yep...us too, at the same competition. I believe, and I could be wrong, that you cannot put a cooker under a canopy...regardless of if it is a WSM or a Lang or whatever. What you need to do is ASK QUESTIONS to the CORRECT people. If the fire marshall does show up, you don't wanna be 'non-compliant', it could get you in trouble. It is easy enough to plead ignorance and just move the bullets, but why have him then go checking everything over with a fine tooth comb just because you aggravated him?

In 14 contests, I've yet to see a fire marshall on site
I have seen them many times (we do about a dozen a year, give or take) in New England and further out...maybe it is regional.

Poohbah, do you remember Dr. Frank (solo) with the BoH lady in Podunk?... he just made a joke and she RIPPED his entire site apart... at ten of noon. Different person of authority, but same deal. No one needs that.

have fun out there!

lunchlady
 
I've heard from a cooker that a fire marshall at the Harpoon told them that his EZ UP didn't have the required fire rating. I'm not sure what happened, but I can find out.
 
So let's say I ask and I'm told it's not OK to put the cookers under the canopy. What would y'all do if you knew it was going to rain? Are there canopies out there that have an acceptable fire rating for such an application?
 
I've run into several fire marshalls. Sometimes they're cool, sometimes they're sticklers.

One thing I have done with my WSMs when it's raining is to take my prep table, which has the leg extenders on, and set it right over the top of them. Worked pretty good.
 
OK if a fire marshall started messing with me ten minutes before turn in, I'd have to first tell him most of the fire is out by now and second, come back in two hours. There would have to be a fire marshall physically assaulting me to get me stopped at 11:50 AM!
 
I just cooked a competition in CA and the fire Marshall required that canopies be 10' from the fire source, it depends where your cooking.
Jim
PS: they were there both days of the cookoff.
 
I guess the smart thing would be to ask the organizers and local officials first even if you think you're not going to like the answer. Better to plan ahead and be prepared than to have to deal with it at the last minute.
 
Jeff_in_KC said:
There would have to be a fire marshall physically assaulting me to get me stopped at 11:50 AM!
Click to expand...

It was a CT Board of Health lady....and she WAS practically assaulting Dr. Frank N Swine....he was flying solo at that event too, so he didn't even have anyone to distract her! She came around WAY early (9 a.m.) just as he was getting set up, saw a coupla dirty cutting boards and then came back at about quarter of twelve and went to town on him. Lemme tell y'all, I learned some new swears that time... and so did my kids. They LOVE Frank, and they understood what was happening.

Basically, everyone in the area learned not to mess (even jokingly) with the 'powers that wanna-be".

lunchlady
 
Now I know why I moved out of CT. I do miss the shad fishing on the CT River in the fall though. That is a hoot. Plus I miss ice fishing and catching nothing but a cold. I lived in Podunk CT, a little town called Broad Brook about halfway between Hartford and Springfield MA. Had a volunteer fire dept. God forbid if there was a fire. The only thing they did there was drink inexpensive beer.
 
I recall at the BBQ on the River contest in Bristol, PA in May that one of the team's canopies actually caught fire....

Not sure of the specifics of how it happened, but they mentioned it when the team walked up for an award... When I walked back to Sawdustguy's site, I remember seeing the canopy that was blackened and melted looking on the actual covering...
 
that was a major grease fire at bristol. i was right behind him. as far as a fire marshal making you move your tent that is his own prefrence not code( i am a nationaly certified fire alarm and fire system inspector )
 
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