Watch those Dryers

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is issuing vital safety advice after firefighters have been called to 12 fires involving tumble dryers in the last three months.

The most recent ones occurred on the same day, January 6, and involved one in Warrington and the other in Sandbach. Another two occurred this week in Crewe on January 17 just after 1pm and in Ellesmere Port just before 7am on January 18.

There are a number of reasons why these fires started which can include overheating, a build-up of fluff or lint which is highly flammable, and some have had electrical faults, but the main messages here are to keep them clean and never leave them unattended when in use, and never, ever put them on in the night when the household is asleep.

Further safety advice when using tumble dryers includes:

• Remove the lint from the trap after every load of clothes dried
• Do not cover the vent or any other opening
• Ensure the vent pipe is free of kinks and is not crushed in any way
• Only used recommended vent pipes, and not improvised ones
• Only vent the warm air to the outside of a building
• Do not put rags or materials into your tumble dryer if they have been used to soak up flammable liquids.

Nick Evans, Head of Prevention, added: "Residents also need to put registering domestic appliances at the top of their list to reduce the risk of home fires. They can do this by visiting www.registermyappliance.org.uk a website run by the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA) which provides quick and easy access to the registration pages."

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