Be Sensible with Dryer Fire Safety
7/31/2023 • 16 months ago
Follow simple, quick steps to prevent clothes dryer fires!
- Clean your clothes dryer lint filter after each use.
- Have the dryer vent professionally cleaned once a year.
- Always stay home when your dryer or other appliance is running. If you must leave, turn off the dryer.
- Don't dry materials which are contaminated with flammable or combustible liquids or hazardous materials.
The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) reports nearly 14,000 dryer fires per year, nationally.
Just this past weekend in Cambridge, there was a clothes dryer fire at midnight in a hi-rise residential building in Engine 4's 1st-due district in North Cambridge. Fortunately this fire was quickly extinguished with minimal damage. Ladders 4 & 1 ventilated smoke & overhauled. Group 4 was on duty.
Dryer fires are an all-too-common occurrence. Always be cautious. Take those extra few seconds to clean your dryer's lint filter.
Fore more information on Dryer Fires, go to the MA Department of Fire Services page.
If you have a fire or smell smoke from your clothes dryer or other appliance, shut down the appliance if you can do that safely and call 911 right away to get help on the way. Firefighters will quickly arrive to resolve the issue.
The photo directly below is from a previous dryer fire in Cambridge.
