Been there, done that! At least close to it.

I've tried to stay clear of the "burn'in down the house" sindrome and have been lucky so far. I have been smoking fish on my deck for at least 10 years now without any combustable problems. I believe I owe it to the fact that I put down a thick layer of aluminum foil under the Little Chief which is elevated 7 1/2" above the deck on 4x4 blocks. I've always tried to make sure that too much heat does'nt develope around (under) the smoker. I made an enclosure around the smoker out of old plywood with plenty of clearance (8" all around) to insulate it durring low temp./windy conditions. This more or less allows me to smoke year round without major adjustment in smoking times.

Even though I've never had a real "scare" smoking on my deck, I will never again leave home while I have it on. The stories in this thread have enlightened me. ....... Thanks guys!
_________________________
'Tis a strange and bewildering place. Often, a steelhead will take on the first cast, and at other times, one can beat the water to a froth and swear a fish was nowhere near. --Bob Heirman