Tumble dryer blaze prompts new alert
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging owners of tumble dryers to ensure they take precautions to prevent them from catching fire.
The warning comes after three people were rushed to hospital following a house fire in Lichfield on Monday.
Firefighters from both Lichfield and Burton stations were called to the fire at a two-storey property in Burton Old Road, in Lichfield, at around 12.25pm on August 19, where a tumble dyer in a ground floor room had caught fire.
All the house's occupants managed to get out of the property safely, but were taken to hospital as a precaution.
John Kitchener, station manager, said: "Tumble dryers, when used safely, can be an asset to a household.
"However, like most electrical appliances, they can become a fire hazard if the simple maintenance jobs, such as clearing fluff after use, are not carried out.
"If fluff is allowed to build up, the heat from the dryer can cause it to catch fire."
Mr Kitchener added: "Although we haven't established the exact reason why this particular tumble dryer caught fire, we do offer advice to people using them."
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service's advice includes removing lint or fluff from the machine after every use, not covering any vents on the dryer, sweeping or vacuuming the area around the machine to prevent a build up of fluff and cleaning the tumble dryer regularly.
Additional advice includes registering your machine so you can be made aware of any product recalls which may relate to the machine and not setting your dryer to run and then going out of the house or to bed – making sure you can keep an eye on it.
The register my appliance website is designed to make it quicker and easier for the public to register all of their appliances. The website provides up-to-date, accurate, contact information for owners who have acquired specific models of appliances within the last 12 years, so manufacturers can issue safety updates or repair notifications to the right homes.
The website also provides access to the registration pages of more than 40 leading brands of domestic appliances. For the website, visit www.registermyappliance.org.uk.
Residents can also check if any of their electrical goods have been recalled, by visiting www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls.
