I just heard the good news that my northern California city has banned fireworks for the 4th because of the 1,400 forest fires burning around our region. But why not ban grilling on a weekend when an estimated 60 million people are firing up the barbecue?

For us the immediate concern is air quality and reducing ignition sources. However, according to the Department of Energy, if we cut out 4th of July grilling, we’d save 2,300 acres of forest and 225,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. We’d save enough energy to give power to 20,000 homes for a year.

But we all know why there won’t be a ban on grilling this holiday. Think about it: Could there be 4th of July without grilling? It would be like taking cake out of birthdays or champagne out of New Years.

Whether you live in fire country as I do or just want to help reduce the impact of this national pastime, the best we can do is take the necessary steps to keep our grills polluting as little and running as efficiently as possible. That means choosing charcoal with lower emissions and made of recycled materials and trading the polluting lighter fluid for a chimney starter. If you’re buying a grill for the occasion, choose solar for an ultra-green barbecue or natural gas for lower emissions than propane or charcoal.

Keep your grill running efficiently and as cleanly as possible so it lasts a long time by washing it regularly. But resist the urge to use toxic grill cleaners, which are unnecessary and about as polluting as oven cleaners.

Give your grill a pre-party bath
If you’re having a barbecue this weekend, consider cleaning your grill before the guests arrive. Here’s how:

1. Remove the grates and soak them in hot soapy water. All you need is nontoxic dish soap but there are also nontoxic grill cleaners you could try.
2. For a charcoal grill, remove the coal grate and for gas, remove everything but the burner.
3. Use your grill brush or other stiff wire brush to brush out the inside of the grill.
4. Dip the brush in soapy water and gently scrub the inside of the grill, removing any debris. For gas grills, brush the briquettes and metal flame shield.
5. Scrub and rinse cooking grates, reassemble and leave the top open to dry.

Keeping it clean and easy
Here are a few tips to eliminate the need for harsh cleaners. Before you start the grill, use a pump spray or pastry brush to coat the cooking grates with a high-heat oil, such as safflower or grapeseed oil so your food won’t stick to it. Avoid dripping too much oil into the grill itself.

Once you finish cooking your meal, turn off the gas or extinguish the flame and shut the top of the grill to keep it hot while you serve the food. After you’ve eaten but before the grill has cooled off completely, brush the cooking grates to remove any food particles. Tap the brush a few extra times to ensure that it’s clean when you finish.

The fourth isn’t only about red, white and blue. For a thoroughly green barbecue party just add organic veggies, grassfed beef, compostable or reusable and recycled/able dinnerware and cloth napkins and tablecloths. Now for serving food that's so good your guests will forget about the fireworks, check out Jessica's tips for better grilling.