Clothes Dryer Fires Cause $35 Million in Property Loss
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) recently issued a special report examining the statistics of clothes dryer fires in residential buildings. The report said that 84 percent of clothes dryer fires occurred in residential buildings. One and two family residences accounted for 77 percent of clothes dryer fires.
According to the USFA report:
• An estimated 2,900 clothes dryer fires in residential buildings are reported to U.S. fire departments each year and cause an estimated 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss.
• Clothes dryer fire incidence in residential buildings was higher in the fall and winter months, peaking in January at 11 percent.
• Failure to clean (34 percent) was the leading factor contributing to the ignition of clothes dryer fires in residential buildings.
• Dust, fiber, and lint (28 percent) and clothing not on a person (27 percent) were, by far, the leading items first ignited in clothes dryer fires in residential buildings.
• Fifty-four percent of clothes dryer fires in residential buildings were confined to the object of origin.
Damaging fires can occur if clothes dryers are not property installed or maintained. The leading factor to clothes dryer fires was failure to clean. Lint, a highly combustible material can accumulate in the dryer and in the dryer vent. Accumulated lint leads to reduced air flow and can pose a potential fire hazard. In addition to the accumulation of lint, blockage in dryer exhaust vents can occur from the nests of small birds and animals. A compromised vent will not exhaust properly to the outside and as a result, overheating may occur resulting in a fire. Serious hazards also occur when the dryer vents do not exhaust directly to the outside.
Some clothes dryer don’ts according to the report:
• Do not operate a clothes dryer without a lint filter or with a lint filter that is loose, damaged, or clogged.
• Do not dry anything containing foam, rubber, or plastic (i.e., bathroom rugs).
• Do not dry any item for which manufacturers’ instructions state “dry away from heat.”
• Do not dry glass fiber materials (unless manufacturer’s instructions allow).
• Do not dry materials that have come into contact with anything flammable (e.g., alcohol, cooking oils, gasoline, etc.). These should be dried outdoors in a well ventilated room away from heat.
• Do not leave a clothes dryer running if you leave home or when you go to bed.
To view the USFA report, Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings, please click on the link provided. All information provided in this report is courtesy of U.S. Fire Administration.
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USFA Report Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010)