L'ANSE -- It's the perfect time to cook outside, but what do you need to know to do it safely?

Thirty-five participants made it to the Sacred Heart Church in L’Anse to find out.  And the turnout was mostly women.

"Usually mothers; we're doing all of the cooking, so we're learning on BBQ safety, keeping food healthy so people don't get sick during the hot weather and the summertime,” said participant Diane Richard. 

The program outlined four specific safety tips.  First tip, the Michigan State University Extension program wants you to wash your hands.  A black light showed participants just how many germs were lingering on their hands before washing them.

"We're just trying to get rid of the myths, actually that's what we're doing today is we're myth busting on food safety," said Marie Harju, MSU Extension representative.

Keep cold food cold at all times and when in doubt about your leftovers, instructors say throw them out!

The fourth and final tip is bringing a fire extinguisher when cooking outside.  A common error when operating a fire extinguisher is not pulling the pin before squeezing the handle.  This error is a result of not having experience handling an extinguisher until one is needed.

"The use of a fire extinguisher can be the first line of defense before the fire department arrives,” said MSU Extension Representative Ed Hulkonen.  “So we're just encouraging people to keep them handy."