I'm writing this experience to maybe keep someone else from being as stupid as me.

First, Luhr-Jensen clearly states to keep their little or big chiefs on a non-combustible surface when in use. Having said that, I have always used my smoker on a piece of plywood on my deck or on a table as early as I can remember. I'm not just talking about occasional use here. I've wore out smokers several times. I'm constantly using it!

On Sunday, I had just added my third panful of chips and went out to the front yard to load my truck for a dump run. About thirty minutes later my daughter comes running out saying the smoker is on fire. She wasn't kidding! It burned a 12 inch hole in that trusty piece of plywood and through a wooden table! That plywood had never even gotten a little scorched before! There doesn't seem to be any obvious reason for this so I can only blame myself but I know something else HAD to have happened. If my daughter wouldn't have seen it, the back of the house could have eventually caught fire.

Hope this convinces one other idiot to put it on the patio.

When I was using my little chief I'd always set it up on top of a couple bricks on the picnic table.One time I set it right on the treated 2x4 decking in the winter while making some Christmas smoked salmon.After seven hours of smoking and the last pan full was burned out hours ago,I saw some smoke.Come to find out I had burned the highly toxic decking and had to throw out that batch.Your not the only on who has done this and wont be the last.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Good for your little girl in bringing it to your attention. guess i will move mine to the patio too...........

At least you were using a legit smoker. An old neighbor of mind decided to build a smoker - out of plywood. Not the brightest idea, but I decided to help. I figured I could at least do something to minimize the risk. Belive it or not he had several successful uses - until the day he burnt a hole in his deck, and almost his house.

My steel smoker stays on the paved patio.

At least you were using a legit smoker. An old neighbor of mind decided to build a smoker - out of plywood. Not the brightest idea, but I decided to help. I figured I could at least do something to minimize the risk. Belive it or not he had several successful uses - until the day he burnt a hole in his deck, and almost his house.

My steel smoker stays on the paved patio.

Believe it or not, this is a common occurence. If you do a search on this BB, you'll read the stories.

I had a friend who experienced the same thing. His smoker went up in flames on his deck. It destroyed the deck and some of his house. It was a real mess. His story was almost identical to yours. In fact, he had placed his Big Chief smoker on bricks so it was about 8 inches off his deck. He had been doing that for years. But for whatever reason, the burner got hot enough to ignite his deck. He was very lucky he didn't lose his entire house.

Take comfort in knowing that you're not alone in this experience.

I noticed that I scorched the deck with my Brinkman last week. Won't be doing that no more!

OK. This is almost as dumb.

I had my Little Smoker on the concrete pad off the back steps out of the garage -- and on bricks. Sounds OK so far.

I changed out the first pan of chips and took off to run some errands. When I got back a couple of hours later, I smelled smoke.

Seems like I dumped the first pan of used chips onto the newly spread beauty bark between the concrete pad and the house. Major black and smoldering ring 'o burnt bark, right next to a wood structure and the house.

No damage, but it could have been REAL BAD!

Lesson #1: If you think the chips are burned out, they aren't. Fire can still occur!

To add to this thread.....How long do you all generally smoke fish using the Little Chief? I had a Brinkman that only took about two hours to smoke, which I felt was too fast. I like my fish a little drier than most, but the Little Chief seems to take forever, 8 hours or so.

The time it takes in a Little Cheif or Big Cheif really depends on the wind and weather. Keeping them in the box (even though it says not to) really helps, or find some other kind of insulation, like an old wool blanket or something.

In other words, it takes as long as it takes.

Sorry to hear about your near disaster, but glad it turned out minor.

I set it on the patio because it's easy, but after seeing dead grass under the smoker not go up in flames after a 6 hour smoke, I figured the manufacturer's warning was for the blatent mistakes most would not do. I guess that's not true.

Here's my dumb smoker mistake. I couldn't find the metal bucket to put the burned chips in, so I used a small plastic bucket, thinking I would just put a little water in with the hot chips. Well I got the fish rotated and forgot to add the water. When I picked the bucket up later, I found the bottom of it was melted to the patio. Yuck, and to this day I can still make out the mark to remind me.

I can safely add to this thread now. It's good to know I'm not the only one...I made a home made cedar smoker out of scrap wood many years ago...even painted an Indian motif on the side...Finally caught the thing on fire last year when I made my briquet fire a little too big underneath...Put it out and am still using it today. And no...it's not on the deck...I have the fire pan pit set in the side yard.

I too have gone through a few little chiefs, but have never had a fire. I use the box it came in to cover it (after cutting off one end and a couple of u-shaped cuts on two of the lower sides to clear the cord and pan handle). But the real trick, I believe, is to throw the pan that comes with the smoker away and get one that is deep enough to just clear the drip pan. The standard pan is too shallow. And I wouldn't put it up on anything that leaves a gap underneath. I use a chunk of thick particle board, but concrete surface is ideal, of course. The idea is to not allow enough air into or under the smoker to burst into flame. I use my own alder slabs for smoking, which are cut rounds about one inch thick. I use only dry wood and never soak it.
No air......no fire.

Had to get in on this one... Haven't burned anything yet but knowing my luck, all in good time.

How did the fish turn out though? I like my smoked salmon a little on the crispy side

Kyle_A - Eight hours to smoke salmon in a Luhr Jensen smoker (Big Chief/Little Chief) is normal; but it depends on the outside temperature, the wind, and the thickness of your fillets. Under ideal conditions (above 60F and no wind), eight hours is about right for average sized salmon fillets. But if it's cold, windy, or the fillets are quite thick, it could take alot more time.

Brinkman smokers run at a much higher temperature and tend to roast your salmon rather than smoke it. I use a Big Chief for salmon and my Brinkman for chicken, pork, sausage, etc. Good luck

My story is a little different so here goes....

About a year and a half ago, my little chief was smoking away. As I reached down to open up the little wood chip door, the back of the machine caught fire from for some reason (later determined as a faulty electrical plug). The flames were nice and blue and shot up above the back of the machine.

Result....1 bach or ruined smoke salmon, 1 electical cord 2/3 gone, and one scared fish seeker.

Good thing the hose was equipped with a circuit for outside plugs.

I use a Totem front loader but same kind of deal as a Chief. But I put mine on one of those cheapo metal folding TV trays, that way it's not near anything combustible

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!