Safety advice issued after tumble dryer fire
Firefighters visited homes in Orsett to offer home safety advice after they were called to a tumble dryer fire last night.
The residents had a working smoke alarm which detected the smoke and put out the small fire with an extinguisher.
Crews attended the scene to check the fire was fully out and give safety advice.
Crew Manager Dan Hare said: “It’s important to make sure you take extra care when using tumble dryers. In this case the residents were using the tumble dryer in a cupboard under the stairs causing it to overheat and set alight to items in the cupboard.
“Luckily they had working smoke alarms which alerted them to the fire.”
Dan added: “We advise people to think about where they are using tumble dryers. Afterwards we visited other houses in the area to check they had smoke alarms and offer safety advice. They all did have working smoke alarms which is great but if you don’t have one in your home, we can provide one for free.”
Follow our advice to stay safe whilst using your tumble dryer:
- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions
- Don’t use tumble dryers at night or while unattended
- Clean the filters after each use to ensure they do not become blocked with fluff
- Items should be removed from the dryer immediately after the cycle and shaken loose to assist cooling
- Ensure that the appliance has its own plug socket. Do not overload extension leads. Ensure that no more than 13 amps are in any one plug socket.
- You can also register all of your domestic appliances for FREE at www.registermyappliance.org.uk who will contact you in case of any safety repairs or product recalls on your appliances.