It’s another holiday weekend — this one celebrating the right to have a day off to celebrate the end of summer. Though the season won’t officially change for weeks yet, and hot weather will most likely linger into October, Labor Day has come to be known as the last blast of summer.

The American Red Cross has some tips for making sure every family has a safe holiday weekend. Many of them simply employ common sense — keep a close eye on children in the water, don’t drink and drive, have a first aid kit handy,  check weather and beach conditions throughout the day, inexperienced swimmers really should wear life jackets — but others aren’t as obvious as that.

Take grilling out. Any given Labor Day weekend, or warm-weather holiday weekend, hundreds of thousands of people are lighting up the grill to cook burgers, hot dogs, a pork tenderloin, you name the choice of meat. While everyone knows that signature smell of a grill with something delicious in the works, not everyone knows the dangers of taking dinner prep outside.

Every year, American fire departments are called to over 1,600 grill-related home fires and thousands of people end up in the emergency room because of some grill-related injury. Some of those injuries are a matter of minor burns and blisters. Others are a matter of life and death.

The most prevalent of injuries come from leaking fuel lines causing propane buildup in gas grills. The best way to avoid this: check for correct connection, cracked and broken hoses and turn off the propane tank when the cooking time is over. If a propane grill does not start within 10 seconds, cut the gas, walk away and wait five minutes to try again. Leave the lid open so no gas can build up.

Charcoal, when it’s lit, releases carbon monoxide, which can kill. Approximately 20 U.S. deaths per year can be attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning from a charcoal grill. Keep the charcoal grilling outside where there’s plenty of air to disperse the fumes.

Keep all grilling outside. If a grill under a shelter bursts into flames, that shelter may very well burn.

Attempts to relight charcoal by dousing the dying fire with lighter fluid also result in a lot of injuries, but when the fire is out here are some tips for a good night’s sleep: for a gas grill, turn off the control valve and valve on the tank, then make sure the grill is cooled completely before closing the lid. For a charcoal grill, put a lid on it and close all events, then wait a good 48 hours before dumping the ashes.

In the relaxed mood brought on by summer holidays, be vigilant around the fire. A trip to the emergency room is a horrible way to end the summer.