The Hidden Danger of Dryer Vent Fires

DATELINE NBC: Is your dryer a fire hazard?

What you need to know about preventing fires
April 9 - Next time you're about to leave your home, ask yourself a simple question: is there any appliance inside the house that's still running, one that shouldn't be on? As Dateline discovered, a familiar fixture of almost every home could be a real fire hazard, even if you think you're using it properly. Chief Consumer Correspondent Lea Thompson reports.
[read the complete story]

 

CONSUMER REPORTS: Dryer fire caution

As many as 15,000 fires start in the laundry room every year when lint from clothes dryers builds up and catches fire. Those fires result in up to 19 deaths per year. The following safety information from Consumer Reports can help you to prevent a disaster.
[read the complete story and watch video]

CLAYTON COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Clothes Dryer Safety

Clothes dryers accounted for the largest share of appliance and tool fires between 1994-1998*.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that 15,000 clothes dryer fires occur annually. These fires account for an average of 10 deaths, 310 injuries, and more than $84.4 million in property damage.

There were 14,300 clothes dryer fires in the U.S. in 1998, resulting in 19 deaths, 312 injuries and $67.7 million in direct property loss according to NFPA.
[read the complete story]

 

LINT RELATED FIRES IN DRYERS: by Charles C. Roberts, Jr.

Many dryer related fires are attributed to lint accumulation in the dryer as a result of several causes. Improper maintenance of the lint trap is at the top of the list. Lint from clothing can enter the dryer cavity through improperly installed or damaged lint traps and contact hot surfaces such as electric heating coils or the flames of a gas operated burner. Damaged drum seals, door seals and other dryer components allow lint into the dryer cavity. Finally, restrictive dryer vents cause reduced air flow and high temperatures in the dryer.
[read the complete story]

 

NEWS CHANNEL 19: Could Your Dryer Catch on Fire?

Clothes dryer fires are one of the most common causes of house fires. Last year, more than 17,000 house fires were caused by a clothes dryer, costing homeowners more than $95,000,000 in damages. Last month, NewsChannel 19's own Kym Richardson was one of those homeowners whose house caught fire because of a dryer. She shares information she's learned on how to prevent a dryer fire.

[read the complete story]

 

Don't let clothes dryers become firestarters

The household dryer is one of the most time saving and useful household appliances in the modern world.

Life for many people has become much easier due to the time it saves in drying clothes as opposed to hanging them in a basement in the winter or out in the yard during the nice weather.

But according to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) clothes dryers accounted for the largest share of appliance and tool fires between 1994 and 1998. There were 14,300 clothes dryer fires in U.S. homes in 1998, resulting in 19 deaths, 312 injuries and $67.7 million in direct property damage. The leading cause of home clothes dryer fires was lack of maintenance (30 percent), followed by unidentified or unknown-type mechanical failure (11 percent) and parts failure, leaks or breaks (10 percent). Clothing was the most common source of ignition in home clothes dryer fires, followed by dust, fiber or lint.

[read the complete story]

 

WCPO: DRYER FIRES

It turns out an appliance in your home could pose a deadly threat.

As many as 16-thousand fires start in the laundry room every year - lint from your clothes dryer can build up and catch fire.

This is what remains of John Welsh's house. It was destroyed in a fire that started with the clothes dryer.

[read the complete story]