News Reports

Dryer fire extinguished

By Allison T. Williams

Friday, September 8, 2006 5:35 PM CDTA

Chuckatuck family escaped harm after their clothes dryer caught fire early Friday.

The Chuckatuck Volunteer Fire Department extinguished a small fire in the dryer at a home in the 6500 block of Everett’s Road around 3:40 a.m., said Lt. Jim Judkins, spokesman for the Suffolk Department of Fire and Rescue.

Chuckatuck Volunteer Fire Chief Greg Parsons reported that the origin of the fire appeared to have been in the dryer’s lint trap. The damage was limited to the dryer and its contents.

That family was fortunate, said Judkins.

“We have had some serious dryer fires here in Suffolk,” he said. “A fire doubles in size for every minute it burns. This fire could have easily gotten out of hand.”

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 15,500 fires associated with clothes dryers occur annually in the United States. These fires account for an average of 10 deaths, 310 injuries and more than $84.4 million in property damage annually.

Fires occur when lint builds up in the dryer or in the exhaust duct, Judkins said. Lint or a collapsed duct can block the flow of air, causing excessive heat to buildup and cause a fire.

To help prevent dryer fires, Judkins recommends that residents:

- Clean the lint screen/filter before or after drying each load of clothes.
- Clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct periodically.
- Check the outside dryer vent while the dryer is operating to make sure exhaust air is escaping.
- Clean behind the dryer, where lint can build up.
- Replace plastic or foil, accordion-type ducting material with a rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct.
- Take special care when drying clothes that have been soiled with volatile chemicals such as gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents, or finishing oils and stains.

allison.williams@suffolknewsherald.com