Beware the barbie and burn

Summer isn’t called the ‘‘silly season’’ for nothing.

Holiday-related accidents cost the country millions in ACC claims each year with the festive season staple of firing up the barbecue being among the most risky pastimes, sparking in hundreds of claims each year.

This year so far there have been 540 barbecue incidents resulting in an ACC claim, pegging roughly level with the 543 incidents in 2015 and 536 in 2016.

The hidden danger of the humble Kiwi barbie was illustrated in August this year when Skine Lalich suffered serious burns to his face, neck and arms, after a barbecue ‘‘freak accident’’.

The 59-year-old was at his best friend’s 80th birthday party in Coromandel town where he was cooking a pork and lamb roast on a gas barbecue when flames exploded out of the spit, knocking him backwards.

He turned off the gas cylinder and raced to the hose where he waited for emergency services who airlifted him to Waikato Hospital.

Senior fire risk management officer and specialist fire investigator Kevin Holmes said given the summer’s extremely dry conditions so far people need to take special care to prevent fire accidents.

Holmes said the most simple precaution was not to drink and barbecue.

‘‘The last thing we need is people cooking when they’ve been drinking and forget about it or fall asleep.’’

Other tips include clearing vegetation around the property, keeping your lawns mowed, keeping the gutters clean of dry leaves and not to store firewood near the house.

‘‘It’s all about taking some steps to make your property safe.’’