‘My thoughts go out to them’: Food trucks embrace safety amidst food truck explosion

By Rocky Walker

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    JACKSON & JOSEPHINE COUNTIES, Oregon (KDRV) — A food truck in Grants Pass dealt with a minor explosion Friday, sending a worker to the hospital with burn injuries. In the midst of this, food trucks are embracing safety practices throughout the valley.

Food trucks bring restaurant quality meals out of kitchen spaces that are much smaller.

“Size, size and more size [is the difference],” said Super Smash Burgers owner Randal Welles. “It’s just a lot smaller, a lot more compact.”

With the unique kitchen setting, a different level of safety and precaution are required — largely in regards to propane, the fuel that fires the grills and fryers, rather than a brick-and-mortar restaurant’s built in gas lines.

Rural Metro Fire said the food truck explosion on Friday appeared to be associated with propane.

Welles said making sure to check on propane lines and turn them off at the end of the night is essential.

”One little leak can cause a lot of damage to us and our property and then other people,” Welles said.

Alongside propane checks and turning them off between work days, Super Smash Burgers also has a fire suppression system, prepared to put a fire out if it were to occur, as well as fire extinguishers on both sides of the food truck.

“Just being [in] confined quarters, if there’s a fire in the front and there’s only a fire extinguisher in the back and you have multiple people, it could definitely create issues with that,” Welles said.

Welles said the key is having the staff be fully aware of ways they can stay safe and the responsibilities they have to ensure fire safety, as well as the proper response in the case of an emergency.

“It’s just checklists,” he said.

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