#4 Most Leading Cause Of House Fire

10/25/2016 (Permalink)

Believe it or not, the fourth most leading cause of house Fires are washing and dryer machines! Even though it's hard to believe, these Fires accounted for 16,800 home structure Fires in 2010 and they did more than $236 million in property damage. In dryers, Lint/dust caused 29% of the Fires and clothing caused 28%. In washing machines, wire or cable insulation caused 26%, the appliance housing caused 21% and the drive belt caused 15%. The risk of fire is about the same for both gas and electric-powered dryers. Of course like anything else, there are safety tips you can take to prevent these Fires. Follow these guidelines and your house should be Fire free!

• Clean the lint screen frequently and don’t run the dryer without it.
• For gas and propane dryers, make sure there aren’t any leaks in the lines.
• Vent the dryer to the outside of the house and ensure nothing blocks the vent pipe.
• Clean the vent pipe and the area where the screen is housed.
• Keep the area around the dryer free of combustible materials.