Washers and dryers are part of almost every household. They are appliances vital to most families and serve their purpose for years and years. Unfortunately these wonderful household contraptions also cause injuries, property damage and even deaths when they catch fire.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that
dryers and washing machines were involved in one out of every 22 home structure
fires reported to fire departments in 2006 through 2010. In 2010 there were over
16,000 home structure fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines
resulting in 51 deaths, 380 injuries and over $236 million in direct property
damage. Dryers accounted for a whopping 92% of these fires.
The insurance industry is reporting that over 2,900
dryer fires occurred in residential buildings
in 2012. This translates into an estimated $35 million
in property losses. Losses appear to peak in the fall and winter months. Failure
to clean was the leading factor contributing to the
ignition of clothes dryer fires in residential buildings. Dust,
fiber, lint and clothing were by far the leading items first ignited in clothes
dryer fires.

For those dryer fire victims who had a homeowners or
renters insurance policy, the policy would provide coverage subject to the
deductible. Insurance companies are continuously working to educate their home
insurance customers about the need to clean lint screens and make certain that
vent hoses remain unblocked. Keeping these simple steps in mind could greatly
reduce the damage, injuries and deaths from dryer fires each year, yet the
number of claims paid continues at about the same pace. Dryer fires are more
likely to cause a fire in your home that any other appliance including toasters
and ovens. The most prevalent symptom that a fire may be on its way is when you
take your clothes from the dryer and they are very hot or they are still damp at
the end of the drying cycle.
One way to avoid a dryer lint fire is to clean your lint trap after every load of laundry. This will prevent build up. Another preventative measure is to clean your ducts with a vent cleaner. We'll take a look at some of those in a future post.