Birds are chirping, bees are buzzing, the sun is shining — and you might have grilling on your mind. But before you fire up your gas grill to make some juicy burgers, don’t forget to inspect it for leaks.After you take your grill out of hibernation, before turning it on, you should thoroughly check it for any signs of damage. In particular, you’ll want to look for anything that might cause a gas leak. Perhaps you stashed your grill away in a shed for the winter, and the neighborhood rat made the gas hose its chew toy. Or maybe you left your grill out on the patio, and the snow and rain corroded a few crucial metal components. That damage could be dangerous.The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that gas grills accounted for an average of 9,079 home fires per year between 2017 and 2021. The main culprit: leaks or breaks. And it doesn’t take much gas buildup to produce a fire or an explosion; even just a 2% concentration of propane vapors in the air can cause serious damage.It’s virtually impossible to spot a gas leak with the naked eye because propane is naturally colorless. However, a soapy-water test makes detection much easier.