Local fire departments are warning area residents to be careful when cooking outside, especially during the months of June and July.

“Each year, fire departments respond to emergencies where someone has been injured by a hot grill or a structure fire has occurred as a result of grill use,” according to a press release from the Sycamore Fire Department.

“It has been real dry, so that puts more emphasis on this,” said Lt. Luke Howieson, fire prevention coordinator for the DeKalb Fire Department. “You want to make sure to keep grills away from siding and from under eaves.”