Dryer fire danger

On the ball neighbour

Paul Makin

Journalist

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Lint in clothes dryer filters can end up costing you bigtime

They’re in most homes. Clothes dryers, also known as tumble dryers and they are a wonderful modern-day appliance that when used properly makes life so much easier.

But they have a dangerous side, because if the filter isn’t properly cleaned out, it could very well spell D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R. For some homeowners in Craiglie yesterday, luck was smiling down on them. It was all because of a quick-thinking neighbour and a fast-thinking tradie.

Craig Cooper, who lives in Hope Street, noticed smoke coming from the garage/laundry of the house next door. The next thing he heard and witnessed was a window explode.

Craig sprang into action to help fight the fire, which was in its early stages, and joining him was a ‘mystery’ tradie who was driving past. According to Craig the tradie immediately turned off the power so the two could put the fire out in the dryer safely.

“He did most of the work” said Craig “he was like the Lone Ranger, he did his good deed and then rode away, well drove away in this case”.

Thick smoke went through the whole dwelling causing the owners to find alternative digs for the foreseeable future. They weren’t home at the time.

When the fire brigade arrived, they had a much easier task thanks to ‘on the ball’ Craig and his Kemosabe. According to Craig, the real fire fighters have come upon this sort of fire before “They told me they’d only recently attended a blaze where a lint in a dryer caught fire”.

The whole thing was a bit scary for Craig and Chris who lost a home in Victoria when it was completely destroyed due to an electrical fault.

Port Douglas top cop Damian Meadows told Newsport “It’s just common sense but unfortunately some people forget to do a filter clean out each time and pay the price” he said. Sgt Meadows said in this case the occupants weren’t home and the danger was averted by some very quick acting citizens, but it could have quite easily gone the other way.

Clean the filter every time

Remember dryers expose flammable materials to heat. Experts recommend cleaning the lint filter after every cycle for safety and energy efficiency. It also recommends that dryers not be used for rubber, foam or plastic items, or any item that has had a flammable substance spilled on it. According to the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, these are the steps to take to prevent clothes dryer fires

  1. Clean the lint filters in clothes dryers after every load.
  2. Make sure that each load goes through a full cycle, giving the dryer an opportunity to cool down.
  3. Regularly dust the grill of the clothes dryer to prevent dust build up and overheating.
  4. Don't overload power points in the laundry.
  5. Ensure there is proper ventilation and air space around the clothes dryer.
  6. From time-to-time, clean the lint filter in soapy water to remove any build-up of material over the filter.
  7. Turn dryer off before leaving the house.
Craig Cooper who joined with the mystery tradie to put out the fire
The garage/laundry where the window blew out
Clean the lint filters in clothes dryers after every load.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services say lint catching fire in dryers is a major problem

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