Clothes Dryer and Appliance Fire Safety in Island Heights

4/25/2022 (Permalink)

If a dryer fire strikes your Ocean Island Heights property, call your fire damage cleanup experts at SERVPRO of Toms River today.

Fires are common in the home because most of us use lots of them in our everyday lives. While some of the newer appliances come equipped with safety features, other older ones may not. As consumers, we must read the manual for each appliance and be aware of any specific safety features that it has or does not have before purchasing the product.

While many appliances could be the cause of a fire, today we are focusing on the clothes dryer. 

The Clothes Dryer

If you are installing a new dryer of having one installed make sure to carefully follow the installation instructions and make sure that it is installed in a safe place. 

Read these clothes dryer fire facts from the U.S. Fire Administration:

• 2,900 home clothes dryer fires are reported each year and cause an estimated 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss.
• Failure to clean the dryer (34 percent) is the leading cause of home clothes dryer fires.
• More home clothes dryer fires occur in the fall and winter months, peaking in January.

Common causes of dryer fires:

• Mechanical and electrical failure-faulty wiring and damaged machinery can potentially cause dryer fires, like anything with moving parts and electronic components.
• Dirty lint filter-this is a result of a buildup of lint, but can certainly be caused by an accumulation of dirt, grass, or anything else that remains after the washing process. 
• Clogged vent-the outside vent can become clogged, which prevents airflow and potentially leads to hazardous conditions. It can also become obstructed by birds, insect nests, or rodent nests. 
• Improper use-using it outside of the manufacturer's recommended guidelines, such as over-stuffing the appliance, items that shouldn't be put in a dryer, or items with instructions advising against drying with heat.

If a dryer fire starts in your Island Heights home, normally the safest course of action is to evacuate, move your family to a safe location, and call the fire department immediately. While many fires start relatively small, they do tend to spread quickly, according to Germania Insurance.

After a fire, you will need the assistance of a reputable fire restoration company to handle your fire damage cleanup. Call SERVPRO of Toms River, NJ at (732) 349-9898 for the experts in fire damage restoration, smoke and soot cleanup.