Florida Official Orders Local To Keep BBQ Smoke In His Own Property

A Florida man may have wondered how he could keep smoke from blowing off his property after he was told that he could only grill meat in his yard provided that the barbecue smoke would not waft off beyond.

On July 22, Scotty Jordan shared a video on Facebook showing Joe Graham, a Pinellas County environmental specialist, warning him and his friend for violating the air quality law.

The video, which has since gone viral with more than 4 million views, showed Graham informing Jordan and his friend that there was too much smoke coming from his grill.

"I just took three pictures of smoke," Graham said. "I can smell it again right now. You're allowed to have it smell on your property, so that doesn't count, but when I'm on the street, that's when it counts."

When asked if it was against the law, Graham pulled out his handbook and told the men that neighbors can call in if they are concerned about the smoke of the barbecue. The country has round the clock hotline for residents to contact for an emergency complaint on air quality.

The two residents shared a laugh in the video and stood in amazement as they were told that in order for them to avoid the warning, they should first check the patterns of the wind prior to starting a barbecue or to upgrade their equipment to a model that can create less smoke.

The two men explained that their other neighbors routinely cook but no one seemed to issue warnings to them. Jordan can be heard saying that everybody can cook out except him. They added that they have been in the area for four decades without problems until one neighbor filed the complaints in just a matter of three years.

Informing the men about the local restrictions on barbecuing may have also been awkward for Graham. Pinellas County Administrator Mark Woodard said that Graham was merely responding to 14 odor and smoke grievances against Jordan since September 2014.

The ordinance reads that even commercial barbecue cookers are not exempt from causing what could be considered a nuisance odor. Once enough complaints are reported, an inspector sees the problem himself and a warning letter can be issued. Woodard said that the inspector was sent to educate Jordan and that no citation was issued.