Dryer Fire Articles (2009)

SILVERDALE, PA - A fire ignited in a clothes dryer at a Hilltown home Wednesday, a fire official said.  Silverdale Fire Co. responded and extinguished the flames before they could cause serious damage to the residence on Longleaf Drive, said Silverdale Chief Keith Seifert.  The blaze appears to have started in the dryer itself.

LEESBURG, VA - For the third time in as many days, Loudoun fire and rescue crews were called to battle a significant house fire last night. Fire-Rescue crews from Philomont, Purcellville, Hamilton, Leesburg, Round Hill and Lovettsville responded to the fire. Upon arrival, firefighters found the two-story home with heavy fire in the attached garage and fire spreading inside the home.  Two residents were transported to Inova Lansdowne Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.  A third was treated on the scene.  The Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire was accidental, originating in a clothes dryer in an enclosed breezeway between the garage and home.  Damage was estimated at $200,000.

PARK RIDGE, IL - A dryer fire caused about $5,000 damage to a Park Ridge home.  Firefighters were called to the home in the 2100 block of Habberton Avenue just before 5 p.m.  Family members tried to extinguish the fire before crews arrived, however firefighters using a thermal imaging camera located smoldering in the wall.  Crews opened walls and ceiling panels and extinguished additional hot spots in the home then ventilated the structure, preventing any additional damage to the home valued at more than $500,000.  Loss of contents was estimated at $2,000.

WEBB CITY, MO - The home of a Webb City family of five was destroyed Thursday morning by a fire blamed on a clothes dryer in an attached garage.  Battalion Chief Ronnie Metcalf of the Webb City Fire Department said firefighters, summoned at 5:56 a.m., found the single-story home in the 700 block of South Hall Street in flames.  The occupants - two adults and three children - were alerted by a smoke detector and escaped the home without any injuries, Metcalf said.

COPPELL, TX - Twenty people were looking for new homes Monday after a four-alarm apartment fire Sunday night.  Twelve units at the complex in the 1700 block of East Belt Line Road were involved; half of them were destroyed.  Investigators said a clothes dryer sparked the flames.  Neighbor Brandon Kiesel tried to put the fire out.  "I started ripping sheet rock out of the wall," he said.  "She was handing me buckets of water, and I was shoveling water on to it.  Underneath the hot water heater we got that part of the fire out, but once I looked, the flames had already spread in between the interior walls and they were moving up to the third floor."

DETROIT, MI - A 1-year-old child was killed in a house fire Sunday evening.  Davion Grant was being watched by his Aunt when the fire started at the home on Saratoga.  The Aunt was rescued by firefighters.  The young boy was found dead inside a closet on the second floor.  Investigators believe the fire started in a dryer in the basement.  The child's aunt tried to carry Davion down the stairs to safety, but was overcome by smoke.  Firefighters were able to save the aunt through an upstairs window.

LAWNCREST, PA - According to police, Juline Dupiche left her Lawncrest home to go to a store with one of her children, leaving her 2-year-old asleep home alone.  A fire then broke out in the basement and if it weren't for a neighbor's quick action the child may have died.  "I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and smoke started coming up from in the kitchen," neighbor Genene Davis said.  After checking her basement, Genene only found smoke, no flames.  Soon she heard a fire alarm going off next door and rushed over.  Davis called 911. Firefighters responded and found a dryer on fire.  They quickly put it out.  The firefighters searched and found the 2-year-old.  The child was taken to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children for observation.  He's expected to be OK.

WILTON, NH - A limited water supply in the Wilton area prompted officials to call two alarms at a fire Sunday afternoon.  A resident inside an apartment managed to escape unhurt when a fire spread into the bathroom and the living room, causing severe heat and smoke damage, officials said.  A dryer in the laundry room likely sparked the flames, investigators said.

SAVANNAH, GA - A clogged dryer vent pipe was the cause of a fire at an apartment complex in a historic neighborhood.  At 3:24 p.m., several residents phoned firefighters to a home situated on the southeast corner of Duffy and Price streets after smoke was seen billowing from the roof, according to Savannah Fire & Emergency Services.  When fire companies arrived, it was apparent an attack from the second floor and roof of the building was necessary, said Savannah Fire spokesman Mark Keller.  Firefighters tamed the flames in about 10 minutes, he said.  Savannah Fire chief investigator Fred Anderson said one of the tenants had put some clothes in a dryer earlier in the afternoon and then left.  The appliance was vented with a pipe that stretched up to 60 feet to the pitch of roof over the second story of the building.  The design of the pipe allowed lint to gather, which eventually caused a buildup of steaming hot exhaust, Anderson said.  Anderson said his department regularly responds to fires caused by faulty dryers, whether it be vent pipes or people not cleaning out lint traps.

ARCADE, NY - An overheated clothes dryer was listed as the cause of a fire that gutted the interior of the Wayne Schade residence in Arcade.  Arcade Fire Chief Tom Beiersdorf reports that the alarm was received at approximately 4:00 p.m. In spite of a recent snowfall and slippery roads, firefighters were at the location several miles east of the Village of Arcade within seven minutes, he said.  The lower floor was involved and the fire had spread to the second floor when they arrived.  Beiersdorf said that the home is a total loss.

KELSO, WA - A fire that started in a clothes dryer tore through a Kelso home Sunday, causing $75,000 damage, according to Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue officials.  The department said the fire was reported just after 1 p.m.  Crews found smoke wafting from the front door and flames in the rear of the single-family home.  The fire started in a dryer and spread to the kitchen, the department said.

FRESNO, CA - Fresno firefighters said they saved several apartment homes when they got a fire under control in a hurry late last night. Firefighters knocked down the flames quickly, contained most of the damage to the first floor, and protected the neighboring apartments. Investigators say the fire started in a dryer downstairs, but nobody noticed it at first because they were all upstairs.

ARLINGTON, WA - For the second time in two nights, firefighters stood outside homes full of smoke and didn’t hear the shrill sound of working alarms.  A dryer likely sparked a house fire early this morning in the 17600 block of 34th Avenue.  Crews quickly contained the fire, but seven people lost their home, Arlington Fire Battalion Chief Tom Cooper said.

BARRE, VT - A dryer caught fire at a single-family home on Railroad Street in Barre late Monday afternoon, creating heavy smoke and prompting firefighters from at least three departments to respond.  Firefighters found a lot of smoke in the house when they arrived and quickly sprayed the dryer with water, according to Barre City Deputy Fire Chief Joe Aldsworth.  Shannon Capron, 31, is the owner of the house.  "I opened up my front door and smoke poured out at me," she said outside her house.  "I tried to go in and I couldn't see anything."

FARGO, ND - Lint build-up in a dryer caused a fire in a Fargo apartment Saturday afternoon.  Fargo Fire Department crews were dispatched at 3:30 p.m. to a second-floor apartment and had the fire under control within 15 minutes, according to a news release. Although the fire was contained to a dryer in one unit, residents of that apartment and others nearby were temporarily evacuated.  Damage is estimated at about $2,000 for the dryer and minor smoke damage on the second floor of the building.  Fargo fire officials wanted to remind residents to check their dryer vents for lint build-up.

DALE CITY, VA - A Sunday night fire displaced a family of three in Dale City.  Fire officials say they were called to the blaze at Cordell Ave. Firefighters arrived to find smoke pouring from the house.  The blaze was brought under control and no one was injured, said Prince William County fire spokeswoman Kim Hylander.  Investigators determined the fire started in a dryer in the basement.

VICTORIA, BC - Victoria fire crews responded to a house fire friday night--and it looks like it was started in a dryer.  They were called to the 400 block of skinner road and knocked the fire down almost immediately upon arrival.  "The occupants were taken to hospital with some smoke inhalation."

BOLLINGER COUNTY, MO - Children at their Bollinger County home made it to safety before a fire destroyed the house.  Emergency crews from multiple departments fought the house fire.  A fire investigator says the children who were at home before school called in the fire shortly after 7 a.m.  The fire destroyed the home.  Investigators say the fire probably started in the dryer vent and spread quickly.

GRAY, GA - A fire destroyed the home of Leon and Lisa Kitchens Wednesday morning.  No one was at home when the fire started, and the blaze is believed to have started in the clothes dryer.  Jones County Emergency Management Director Don Graham said volunteer firefighter Mark Sheldon was transported to the Medical Center due to dehydration but no other injuries were reported.

FRANKLIN, MA - Firefighters extinguished a fire which they say started from a build-up of lint in a clothes dryer at a Pine Street home.  "The fire was confined to the clothes dryer, but there was a moderate amount of smoke throughout the building and some minor water damage in the basement where the dryer was located," Fire Chief Gary McCarraher said.  Eleven firefighters arrived at the ranch-style home.  It took them 10 minutes to put out the blaze and about 30 minutes to remove smoke from the house using fans, he said.

TUCSON, AZ - A fire caused about $100,000 in damage to a duplex on the south side Monday afternoon, a Tucson fire official said.  There were three people inside when the fire broke out.  All three got out safely with their dog and two cats, said Capt. Trish Tracy, a Tucson Fire Department spokeswoman said.  The resident of the adjacent unit was not home, but the resident’s dog was rescued by a family member, Tracy said.  The fire was ruled accidental, and is believed to have been started by a dryer in the carport, Tracy said.

TRENTON, NJ - Two people were displaced yesterday afternoon when a residential fire ripped through their home, according to city firefighters and the local American Red Cross.  Flames extended to the rear of the dwelling after the house’s dryer caught fire about 1 p.m., firefighters said.  The home sustained significant fire-related damage and was deemed uninhabitable, according to Red Cross spokeswoman Diane Concannon.  An adult and teenager were rendered homeless by the blaze, Concannon said.

AUSTIN TOWNSHIP, MI - Two women were transported to Huron Medical Center in Bad Axe where they were treated for smoke inhalation Sunday night.  Bingham Township firefighters were dispatched following a 9-1-1 call reporting a fire at a mobile home, according to Bingham Township Fire Chief Gary Bischer.  Bischer reports the cause of the fire was determined to be due to lint around the dryer vent.

NORTH WILKESBORO, NC - A North Wilkesboro couple were injured yesterday in a fire at their home.  Linda Call, 61, was listed in critical condition last night at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.  William Call, 54, was listed in fair condition.  An unidentified neighbor had helped the Calls out of the house when firefighters arrived, said North Wilkesboro Fire Chief Niki Hamby.  He said the Calls both suffered smoke inhalation from superheated air.  Flames were coming out of the rear of the wood frame house and shooting over the roof, he said. The house was gutted.  The fire appeared to have started in a clothes dryer at the rear of the home, he said.

GLOCESTER, RI - A major fire destroyed a home in Glocester.  The fire went to five alarms, with crews from the Oakland, West Glocester, Pascoag, and Foster fire departments called out to assist.  The fire is believe to have started accidentally in a clothes dryer.  The flames burned out the home, leaving it a charred shell.  Three people lived in the home, and all got out safely.

BRICK, NJ - A woman and her two toddlers escaped safely from their house, which was heavily damaged by a fire that started in a clothes dryer, officials said.  The mother, Carlee Heil, made the 911 call at 7:20 p.m., said Kevin Batzel, chief of the Brick Fire Safety Bureau. The fire started in the laundry room and spread to the exterior of the house, then to a rear bedroom before heading into the attic, Batzel said. The fire was well involved when firefighters arrived.  The ranch-style house is uninhabitable, Batzel said.

KELOWNA, BC, CANADA - Quick-thinking apartment residents kept a dryer fire from spreading to an entire building on Sunday.  Assistant fire chief Thomas Doherty said the fire started in a dryer in a unit on the second floor.  Doherty said the fire was initially reduced by residents of the unit using a fire extinguisher on the blaze.  "Their actions reduced the spread of fire, which enabled the firefighters to extinguish the fire quickly on arrival, reducing the amount of damage."  Doherty noted that the fire was contained to the dryer, but there was smoke damage to the unit around it.

CUMBERLAND, MD - A Lexington Avenue couple and their young son were left homeless when an accidental fire heavily damaged their residence Wednesday evening.  First-arriving city firefighters found the house “well involved ” in fire, according to Lt. Shannon Adams, who investigated the incident with City Fire Marshal Boyce Rogers.  Investigation revealed the fire originated in a clothes dryer.  The property, owned by the Ballou family, was gutted by the fire and the loss was estimated at $70,000 to the building and its contents.  Twenty-two city firefighters responded to the incident along with volunteer fire companies from LaVale, Bowling Green and Ridgeley.

KANSAS CITY, MO - A family of six was forced out of their home at Northeast 49th Street and Highland Avenue early Tuesday morning. Firefighters said flames were shooting from the roof of the home when they arrived.  Two adults and four children, ranging in age from 7 to 14, safely escaped.  Fire investigators said the fire started in a dryer vent.  Damage to the home is estimated at $130,000.

PULASKI, TN - A fire reported Saturday in a garage attached to a residence began in a clothes dryer, according to Pulaski Fire Department Engineer Don Collins.  PFD members responded to the call to find the fire was making its way into the attic after burning the appliance and a wall.  Firefighters extinguished hot spots in the garage and attic before using a positive pressure fan to remove the smoke from the home.

MOUNT HOLLY, NC - Extra manpower because National Fire Safety Week kept a Mount Holly mobile home from burning down, said a Mount Holly Fire and Rescue captain.  A call about a mobile home fire went out about 7:53 a.m.   “When we arrived we found flames at the bottom of the trailer, ” said Capt. Travis Collier.   “Without those extra people there, we probably would have lost that trailer, ” Collier said. “We probably doubled our manpower. ”  The fire started in the dryer vent, said Gaston County Deputy Fire Marshal Nick Featherstone.

FONTANA, CA - A family of four escaped their burning home unscathed this morning, officials said.  No one was injured in the blaze at the family's 2,000-square-foot home.  San Bernardino County firefighters also rescued four kittens.  The fire was started by a dryer and quickly spread from the garage into the attic, eventually engulfing the entire house in flames. Fire officials said 10 mph winds helped flames spread quicker.  The blaze was contained within 40 minutes and caused an estimated $450,000.

FRESNO, CA - Clean-up continues today at a Fresno apartment complex following a two-alarm fire.  The fire happened around 3:30 on Tuesday afternoon, near Clovis and Tulare streets in South-East Fresno.  Fire crews were able to keep the fire contained to one unit.  The damage is estimated at about $250,000.  Investigators state that the fire had started from a dryer.

MADISON TOWNSHIP, OH - Firefighters responded to a dryer fire at 128 Wailele Drive, Sample said.  Upon arrival, firefighters were met with light smoke coming from the laundry room, Madison Township Firefighter Dustin Sample said.  It was determined the fire started from the dryer, Sample said, and the damage estimate is "a couple thousand dollars."  Fire departments from Painesville, Perry and Leroy townships, Geneva and Harpersfield also responded to the scene.

RINEYVILLE, KY - Too much lint in a dryer sparked a fire at a mobile home on Oak Ridge Road Thursday morning.  “Definitely, this could’ve been prevented,” Rineyville Fire Chief Shane Crutcher said.  Crutcher said the resident doing laundry noticed the fire and acted quickly, calling for help.  Damage was limited to the appliance and surroundings, but Crutcher said if the woman had done what many do — start the dryer before leaving the home — the entire structure could have been lost.

BELL FONTAINE, AL - A south Mobile County family loses everything in a house fire.  The flames broke out before the sun came up Thursday morning.  Felicia Wood said her dryer caught fire and when she couldn't put out the blaze, she woke up her family, including her son Quintin Harris, who is paralyzed.  The 23-year-old has been wheelchair-bound since February of 2008.  Harris said his wheelchair was on fire, and that his little brother who lives next door helped pull him to safety.  The Wood family lost everything.

ATHENS TOWNSHIP, PA - At 9:38 p.m. on Monday night, Athens Township firefighters responded to a call of smoke coming from a structure on MacAfee Road, according Township Fire Chief Bill Kneebone.  However, when the trucks arrived, there wasn’t much of a fire left to fight.   “The homeowner pretty much had it out prior to the fire department’s arrival, ” Kneebone stated.  According to Kneebone, the fire “started in the dryer vent ” of a single-family home, but was quickly extinguished by one of its residents.

TAMPA, FL - The fire department worked a home fire Sunday afternoon where losses were reported at $30,000.  The fire at the single-story home began in the laundry room behind the dryer and was possibly caused from lint build up, Tampa Fire Rescue said.  A woman and her three children were at home at the time of the 5:22 p.m. fire and were able to get out unharmed, fire rescue said.  The fire was under control in 20 minutes, fire rescue said.

ALBANY, GA - A fire causes $35,000 in damage to a Dougherty County home, and investigators say it started in the laundry room.  Albany Fire Chief James Carswell says the dryer caught fire.  Carswell says this is the 14th dryer fire this year and collectively these types of fires have caused $250,000 worth of damage.  Carswell says to clean out your lint trap and dryer duct, and keep your dryer area clear to avoid a dryer fire.  It’s also recommended to get an aluminum dryer duct which is fire resistant.

DULUTH, MN - A man is being treated tonight for smoke inhalation after a dryer in his home caught fire.  Fire officials say the damage was contained to the dryer and the area surrounding the appliance.  However, there was significant smoke throughout the building.  The cause of this fire has been investigated by the Duluth Fire Marshal's office, with the likely cause an over accumulation of lint within the dryer.

SIOUX CITY, IA - Three people escaped injury this afternoon when a dryer vent caused a fire in their Sioux City apartment.  Brian Thiele, acting assistant Sioux City fire chief, said firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the second floor of the two-story home.  Once inside, they found a fire in the laundry area of one of the units.  Although the fire was quickly put out, Thiele said the entire house suffered moderate smoke damage.  The basement also sustained severe fire and heat damage.  Thiele said incidents such as Saturdays are a reminder to keep dryer hosing and vents clean of combustibles.

BAYOU GEORGE, FL - The Davises’ worst day began before sunrise, in a mobile home laundry room, with a few puffs of smoke.  A couple tormenting hours later, all that was left of the Long Branch Road trailer was its charred skeleton and the worthless remains of all they owned.  The fire was early Aug. 14, a blaze that started in a dryer and spread as Sheila Davis fought it with a garden hose.  The official damage estimate was $25,000. Wilson said the trailer and contents were worth closer to $80,000.

HARRISONBURG, VA - Smoke detectors were credited with allowing a Mount Crawford woman to escape a house fire early Thursday. Emergency crews were called to Diehl's Ford Road, where flames were seen inside and outside of the twostory home, firefighters said. The home, estimated to be about 150 years old, was built in such a way that the fire spread quickly through the floor and walls, said John Huddle, Rockingham County assistant fire marshal.  The fire started in the first-floor laundry room and moved up the outside of the home to a secondfloor bedroom.  An electric clothes dryer was determined to be the source, Huddle said.

WARE, MA - Five people have been burned from their North Street home Thursday after an early morning two-alarm fire broke out as a result of the improper installation of a dryer vent, according to the fire department.  Fire Chief Thomas Coloumbe said the call for the blaze came in shortly after 1 a.m., but crews didn't leave the scene at 138 North St., until around 8 a.m.  The fire resulted in an estimated $150,000 in damages, according to Coloumbe, who said the installation of a clothes dryer vent in the home likely sparked the blaze.  The five people left homeless were planning on spending the night with friends, according to the chief.

THAME, OXFORSDSHIRE, UK - The fire originated from a tumble dryer in the utility room, which is attached to the main house.  The extension was badly damaged and the upstairs exterior window also appeared charred, but fortunately the rest of the house was not affected.  Five crews from Thame, Haddenham, Wheatley, Watlington and Oxford were called to the scene at 8.40am, and they quickly had the blaze under control.  Speaking at the scene, incident commander, Station Manager Jason Crapper, told the Thame Gazette that the house occupier had been tumble drying some clothes when he began to smell smoke and realised the fire had started.  "It could have been a lot worse," he said. "That is one benefit of having a fire station just around the corner."

PITTSBURG, CA - A house fire in Pittsburg on Thursday evening started when a dryer vent full of lint caught fire in the home's garage, firefighters said.  One resident suffered minor smoke inhalation when he ran inside to search for six other residents whom he thought might be inside, Contra Costa Fire District Battalion Chief Mark McCullah said.  Firefighters later learned that the other residents made it out safely on their own.  McCullah said the fire, which began in the garage, was contained to the garage, with smoke damage to the rest of the two-story house.

YOUNGSTOWN, FL - A fire broke out early Friday morning in the Youngstown area, leaving a local family homeless.  A little after 4:30 Friday morning, it's believed a dryer sparked a blaze that destroyed Travis and Shelia Davis’s home on Long Branch Road.  Fortunately, the pair made it out safely, but sadly, along with most of their belongings, they lost a puppy to the inferno.

TURLOCK, CA - A fire burned a laundry room at an apartment complex in central Turlock, causing an estimated $22,000 in damage, fire officials said today.  The fire occurred about 11:30 p.m. The fire appeared to have started in a dryer, according to the fire department.  The first firefighters to arrive found the laundry room filled with smoke.  They contained the blaze in about 10 minutes and limited damage to the laundry room and its contents.

PROVINCETOWN, MA - A clothes dryer fire this morning at an apartment on Winthrop Street sent two dogs to an animal hospital for evaluation, according to fire and police officials.  Police received a call at 10:28 a.m. for smoke coming from a window of a first floor apartment.  When firefighters arrived they found heavy smoke in the apartment and two dogs, a Dalmatian and a small, short-haired dog, said Provincetown Fire Chief Mike Trovato and police officer Scott Peters.  Rescuers gave both dogs oxygen, and an animal control officer took them to the Eastham Veterinary Hospital.

WARWICK, RI - A clothes dryer appears to be the cause of a house fire.  Patrolman Viet-Hung Nguyen reported he arrived at the scene to find that Johnston Fire has extinguished the fire but not before it did substantial damage to the house.  Nguyen said a state fire marshal was on the scene and he and Johnston Fire concurred that it was a dryer on the first floor that started the fire that quickly spread through the back of the house and then up to the second floor.  Building inspector Ben Nascenzi said the house was a total loss and condemned the rest of the structure for destruction.

TODMORDEN, LANCASHIRE UK - Firefighters spent almost two hours tackling a house fire on Halifax Road, Todmorden, in the early hours of Friday morning.  Appliances from Todmorden and Mytholmroyd were called to the property just after 1am after the fire broke out in a tumble dryer.  There was smoke damage to the downstairs of the house.  The occupants were able to make a safe escape after being alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm.

FLINTSHIRE, ENGLAND UK - FIRE crews were called to Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, this afternoon after a tumble dryer set alight.  Firefighters from Mold were called at 2.50pm and used two sets of breathing apparatus and one hose reel to put out the blaze.  The building was evacuated and was well alight when crews arrived.

LEXINGTON, KY - A little girl's quick thinking may have saved the lives of her family members during an early Friday morning fire.  The fire broke out in the dryer of their home in Lexington.  Little McKenzie Florence woke up to use the restroom, noticed the fire and went to wake up her mom.  The laundry room of the house has extensive damage with heavy smoke damage throughout the home.  Two pets survived, but one cat died.

STOCKETT, MT - Fire gutted a house, camper and minivan in Stockett after 8 a.m. Monday morning.  Owner Nancy Walker escaped with her two dogs and three cats, but three snakes left behind might have perished.  A fire in a dryer is believed to be the cause of the fire, which attracted firefighters from the Stockett, Sand Coulee, Black Eagle and Malmstrom fire departments.

SANTA MARIA, CA - Fire crews spent the early morning hours battling a house fire in Santa Maria.  Firefighters responded to a fire on the 1400 block of Claremont Street at about 1:30 a.m. Monday.  When they arrived, officials say they found a two-car garage fully engulfed in flames.  The residents of the home were able to get out of the house safely.  Fire investigators believe a clothes dryer is to blame for the fire.  The home suffered $120,000 worth of damage.

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FL - Firefighters doused a dryer fire and rescued a cat from a smoky home Tuesday night.  The fire happened about 8:30 p.m. in the dryer in a rear room of the home, Indian River County Fire Marshal Brian Nolan said.  Firefighters kept the blaze contained to the appliance itself, but the fire filled the home with smoke, he said.  Firefighters removed a cat from the home and determined it hadn’t been adversely affected by the smoke, Nolan said.

EAST LIVERPOOL, OH - Members of the city's Water Department noticed a problem at a West Fourth Street duplex and potentially saved the home from greater fire damage, according to the interim fire chief.  "The Water Department workers noticed something and quickly called it in and saved a lot of damage to the structure," East Liverpool Fire Department Chief Bill Jones said.  "We encountered what was basically a dryer fire," Jones said.  Jones said the preliminary indication is lint buildup in the unvented drier caused some lint to ignite.  Smoke spread throughout the duplex and that's what drew the attention of city Water Department employees.  Jones said smoke, heat and fire damage occurred in the kitchen area of the residence.

ELMIRA, NY - Two Elmira families are homeless after flames damaged their Westside apartment house.  The fire started in the back of the house, and investigators determined it was ignited by a clothes dryer, according to Deputy Elmira Fire Chief Dan Sincock.  Firefighters were able to knock down the blaze within about 15 minutes of their arrival, Sincock said, but not before the back of the house sustained substantial fire, smoke and water damage, especially on the first floor.

BOONVILLE, IN - An overheated dryer may be the cause of a mobile home fire in Boonville.  Fire crews were called out around 5 Tuesday evening.  They say the family was inside when the fire started -- but everyone got out unharmed.  The family says they were planning to move and had stored a bunch of boxes in the utility room and that likely fueled the fire.  The home is a total loss.

HENDERSON, NV - An early morning house fire in Henderson has displaced a family of six, but all of them escaped without injuries, according to the Henderson Fire Department.  The dryer ignited materials nearby in the laundry room and spread up the wall and into the attic, Lytle said.  The house had heavy fire damage to the laundry room and to the attic with significant smoke damage throughout the residence.  Damage was estimated at $150,000, Jeff Lytle of the Henderson Fire Department said.

BOONVILLE, NY - A fire in a family's dryer Saturday afternoon will displace them for a couple of days.  Boonville Fire Chief Dave Pritchard said the fire spread into the cellar of the two-story home.  Pritchard said the owner of the home, Danielle Douglas, her boyfriend and their two kids were outside when they noticed smoke coming from the chimney.  Firefighters knocked down the blaze in about 20 minutes, but Pritchard said the fire damaged electrical wires and the breaker panel to the house.  He estimated the damage at about $10,000.

WORTHINGTON SPRINGS, FL - A mobile home in Worthington Springs was destroyed by an early morning fire.  Union County volunteer fire fighters from Worthington Springs and The Groves responded to the fire.  Neighboring Alachua County's LaCrosse Fire Department also arrived on the scene to provide extra water to douse the fire.  None of the family members who resided in the rental home were injured, but virtually everything inside was lost.  The fire marshal's office reported the fire originated in the dryer venting hose that was clogged with lint and ignited during operation of the dryer. These hoses should be checked and kept free of lint build-up on a regular basis.

MAGNOLIA,WI - Evansville Fire crews were on the scene of a residential fire in the Town of Magnolia late Monday night that badly damaged the home.  Fire and EMS, along with Rock County Sheriff's Office Deputies, and fire crews from Edgerton, Albany and Brooklyn, responded to the call.  Investigators say the fire appeared to have started in a clothes dryer vent on the first floor of the two-story house.  The building is still standing but the Sheriff's Office says there is extensive fire and smoke damage.

PITTSBURG,KS - No injuries were reported in a fire Tuesday that burned a rear room of a home in Pittsburg.  Capt. Jim Radell of the Pittsburg Fire Department said the occupant of the home, Charity Rhuems, escaped before firefighters arrived.  Heavy smoke and fire were found in a rear addition of the single-story, frame house, Radell said.  Firefighters confined the fire to the back room for the most part, he said, although there was slight damage to the attic.  A clothes dryer is believed to have been the cause of the fire, Radell said.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - A small fire broke out Sunday morning after a dryer caught fire.  No one was injured in the fire, as it was contained to the wash room, said officials from the Tallahassee Fire Department.  Well after the fire was extinguished, smoke could be seen billowing from the home and into the tall pine trees that shaded the home and neighboring street.  There is an estimated $1,500 in damage to the one story home in the Betton Hills neighborhood.

De Pere, WI - A fire in a clothes dryer Friday morning caused significant damage to a duplex on De Pere’s west side.  One adult was home at the time, and got out safely at about 8 a.m.  There were no injuries, said De Pere Fire Chief Robert Kiser.  Three children who live in the duplex were not home at the time.   “There was serious smoke and water damage.  We had the fire under control within 20 minutes, ” Kiser said. Ashwaubenon Fire Department assisted.

CHERRY HILL, NJ - A Cherry Hill family of five has been displaced from their home after it burned Tuesday evening, authorities said.  A family member told dispatchers that the fire was first noticed in a clothes dryer on the first floor of the house.  When firefighters arrived, authorities said the "fast-moving fire" had spread to all levels of the house, rendering "high heat and heavy smoke" conditions.  Thirty township firefighters extinguished the fire in 45 minutes.

DETROIT, MI - Quick thinking by two postal workers likely saved the life of a man and one of two dogs Tuesday morning as smoke from a dryer fire filled a small ranch home near Wildwood and Glenwood, fire officials said Wednesday.  "If they didn't wake this guy up it could have been a very unfortunate incident," said Capt. John Adams of the Westland Fire Department.  Adams said the man, in his 20s, had soot and ash in his nasal passages, a sign that he could have been overcome if postal carriers Sharon Roulo and Lori Boljesic had not banged on windows until he awoke.  The fire was contained to a small laundry closet, although smoke spread rapidly, Adams said.  Lint in a dryer caused the flames.  The man who lives in the house and his mother are staying with friends since the house is uninhabitable due to fire and smoke damage.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Firefighters have worked through the morning to douse a house fire in West Palm Beach that sent two to the hospital.  The fire started in the clothes dryer in the laundry room, West Palm Beach Fire Batallion Chief Mark Yates said.  Firefighters were met at the scene by one of the home's residents standing locked inside a gate that surrounded the house, screaming, "Get me out of here." Firefighters had to cut the lock to get to the man, who told them another resident was bedridden and could not get out of the house.  The two have been taken to St. Mary's Medical Center to be checked for smoke inhalation.  The home sustained moderate smoke damage.

LIVONIA, MI - A dryer fire caused an estimated $100,000 damage to the contents and structure of a Livonia home Tuesday.  No one was hurt in the blaze, which started at 7:31 a.m. in the basement of the brick ranch east of Merriman and south of Seven Mile, said Earl Fesler, senior inspector for the Livonia Fire Department. The fire started when lint got too close to the flame in the gas-fired appliance, he said.   “Lint is very combustible, ” he said, adding that lint screens need to be cleaned after every load and dryer exhausts need to be cleaned at least once a year.   “A little flame will turn into a big fire. ”

BUFFALO, NY - A dryer fire in the basement of a popular West Side restaurant left an estimated $40,000 damage to the contents of the building early this morning, Buffalo fire officials reported.  Firefighters responded to the 4:39 a.m. alarm at the Left Bank, 511 Rhode Island St., just west of Richmond Avenue.

ROANOKE, VA - Crews in Roanoke responded to a fire this morning at a duplex on Riverland Road.  They received the call at 9:30 and had the fire under control within five minutes.  When crews arrived, they found light smoke showing from the upper part of the duplex.  A dryer was on fire, and the fire had spread to the walls of the room.  Investigators say the fire started from the dryer.  The home had smoke detectors, but they weren't working because the batteries were dead.

ROYALTON, NY - Two residents of a home were treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in their laundry room during the noon hour Monday, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office reported.  The fire started in a dryer after a load of wet clothing was put in it, deputies said.  After one resident saw flames under the dryer, the family fled outside with several pets.  Another family member outside attempted unsuccessfully to extinguish the blaze with a garden hose.  Middleport volunteers limited the fire to the laundry room.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO - A Callaway County family is homeless after their trailer went up in flames just before noon off Route J near Millersburg.  The mother was able to escape safely with her two young children, a four-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, after their clothes dryer caught fire near the back left corner of the structure.  "[I was] doin' laundry. I was on the phone with my mother and I looked back and it was on fire, ” said the mother.   “And it had just started filling up with smoke so fast I had to get my kids out. I lost a dog, I lost everything I have."  The family lost one of three dogs, and two baby ducklings.  The mother duck was saved.

EDINBURGH, UK - RESIDENTS of a care home had to be evacuated last night when a tumble dryer in the laundry room caught fire.  During the incident, at 9.30pm last night, one member of staff suffered smoke inhalation while trying to evacuate Morlich House, on Church Hill.  The staff member was treated at the scene and did not require hospital treatment.

SALIDA, CO - Salida Fire Chief Don Taylor said Monday a dryer sparked the fire.  He said a combination of heat, lint and limited ventilation ignited the blaze in the dryer exhaust pipe while owners were away.  Firefighters arrived and cleared the house with a primary search as they extinguished the blaze and broke windows for ventilation.  Taylor said the room housing the washer and dryer was destroyed and there was heat damage to the adjacent kitchen.  Smoke damage permeated the entire two-apartment building.

BREWSTER, MA - A home in Brewster was damaged when a dryer caught fire May 7, at 3:45 p.m.  The fire started in the dryer vent, due to the build up of lint in the hose.  It burned the vent tube and extended to the wall and floor above.  The fire was quickly extinguished with minor damage to the building.  The house required smoke ventilation and checking for any fire extension.  **Fire safety note: make sure lint is cleaned from dryers and hose.  A metal hose is preferred.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND UK - Emergency crews have tackled a blaze at a house in Nottingham which began in a tumble dryer, fire officers  Fire and Rescue were called to the property in Bakersfield.  Fire officers said a 12-year-old girl's prompt actions managed to save her family from the blaze.  Firefighters said if the girl had not heard a noise, the house could have been destroyed.  Watch manager Tim Hage said: "The girl was woken up by what she thought was the sound of fireworks.  "When she went downstairs she discovered the tumble dryer was on fire.  "She then alerted the rest of the family who raised the alarm and managed to escape.  Her actions saved them. "The property did have smoke alarms but our investigations found they weren't working.

FORD RIVER, MI - A fire put itself out when the heat melted a plastic water line at a Ford River home Friday afternoon, according to fire officials.  Shortly after 1 p.m., Ford River Township volunteer firefighters were called to the scene of a fire at the home of Ken Neuens. When firefighters arrived, the home was filled with smoke,said Fire Chief Jon Giese.  Firefighters determined the dryer had started on fire and the heat from the blaze melted plastic water hosing, putting the fire out, Giese said.  "When I got home, there was smoke and water everywhere," said Neuens, who had left the dryer running when he left earlier in the day.  Neuens said there was fire damage around the washer and dryer, black soot throughout the home, and a lot of water to clean up.

BREMERTON, WA - A dog died Thursday in a fire that badly damaged a Navy Yard City house, according to South Kitsap Fire and Rescue. Crews were called at about 10:45 a.m.  The fire was knocked down in less than 15 minutes, SKFR Duty Chief Jon Gudmundsen said.  A woman living in the upstairs part of the duplex noticed the dryer was on fire and tried to put it out, Gudmundsen said.  When she couldn't, she called for help.  Downstairs residents called 911 and also tried to put the fire out, but couldn't.  The woman living upstairs was taken to Harrison Medical Center for smoke inhalation, Gudmundsen said.  About 16 firefighters helped extinguish the fire.  The upstairs part of the home was badly damaged by the fire and the contents of the residence were destroyed.  The downstairs part of the duplex sustained mostly water damage, Gudmundsen said.

HYANNIS, MA - A dryer fire on the second floor of a Pitcher's Way home Monday injured one person and caused about $12,000 in damage, a fire department official said.  A resident of the home was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, according to a spokesman for the Hyannis Fire Department.  The emergency call came in shortly before 4 p.m., and firefighters encountered heavy smoke on the home's second floor, where the dryer was located, the spokesman said.

ALBANY, GA - Fifteen people were asleep inside a one-story, brick home at 925 South Street when one of them awoke to discover the house was about to go up in flames.  "I was asleep. And in my sleep, I woke up and I saw fire," said Anthony Dawson.  When firefighters arrived they found the home fully involved.  Neighbors watched as crews knocked out hot spots to make entry inside the smokey, burned out home where all of the family's belongings were destroyed.  With the home now a complete loss, the family considers themselves lucky that young Anthony reacted when he did.  Fire investigators have determined that a dryer caused the fire.

ALAMOSA, CO - Alamosa firefighters responded to the 1711 block of San Juan Ave., the Geri Archuleta residence, early yesterday afternoon on a home fire suspected to have been caused by either an electrical problem or a buildup of lint in the family’s clothes dryer. Alamosa Deputy Fire Chief Tony Bobicki said the call came in at approximately 1:30 p.m. and about a dozen AFD volunteers responded. Bobicki said about three-quarters of the single family home suffered some smoke damage but no one was injured.

LITHGOW, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA - Two people were taken to Lithgow Hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation after a fire in a home yesterday.  Lithgow West and Lithgow Fire Brigade units as well as police and ambulance were called shortly after midday after a fire broke out in the laundry.  Brigade members were quickly able to control the fire but moderate damage was caused to the laundry.  There was also some smoke damage to the rest of the house.  Brigade members initially treated one occupant with oxygen due to smoke inhalation.  Two occupants were later taken to the hospital by ambulance for further observation.  The cause of the fire was traced to an overheated clothes dryer in the laundry.

BOSTON, MA - A two-alarm fire that may have been caused by a clothes dryer caused extensive damage this morning to a triple-decker home in a densely populated section of Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, the fire department said.  Fire crews, who were summoned to the scene were able to contain and knock down the blaze, which started on the third floor, before it spread to neighboring homes, located only a few feet away on both sides.  Steve MacDonald, a Boston Fire Department spokesman, estimated the damage at $350,000.

NORTHBROOK, IL - An overnight dryer fire chased several residents from a south-side duplex, according to the Sheboygan Fire Department.  The dryer caught fire about 12:20 a.m. Thursday in the basement of a residence, said Shift Commander Donald Reznichek.  He said firefighters arrived to find the basement and first floor apartment full of smoke.  The first floor occupants had evacuated, and no one was home in the second floor.

NORTHBROOK, IL - A clothes dryer left running too long was the apparent cause of a Northbrook house fire.  No people were injured in the smoky fire.  But a village emergency worker was seen carrying the body of a lifeless dog in a bag out of the house.  Mike Mendel, a student at Glenbrook North High School, who lived at the home said he put clothes into the dryer, set it for 45 minutes and left to be with friends.  He said firefighters told him the fire's cause was the dryer.

IOWA CITY, IA - Aaron Stych sat outside his Brookwood Drive home this afternoon as firefighters battled a blaze that resulted from a plugged clothes dryer vent.  Four Iowa City fire engines and a command vehicle responded after a neighbor called about the smoke.  Stych smelled a burning scent that resembled a hot dryer just soon before the neighbor arrived.  Upon investigation, Stych discovered the wall near the dryer up in flames near the ceiling and found the wall "bubbling" where the dryer was connected.  Fire officials distinqued the inferno within a half-hour and were on scene for an hour.

EAST ROCHESTER, NY - Students in East Rochester are getting an unexpected day off today because a dryer fire early this morning filled district buildings with smoke.  The flames destroyed the dryer, but did little damage to the building, according to East Rochester school superintendent Howard Maffucci.  Fire crews had the flames out quickly, but not before the fire filled the complex with smoke.   “We opened the door and there was a lot of smoke, ” Maffucci said.   “We had to turn off all these systems and didn’t want students in the building today. ”

LONGVIEW, TX - Investigators determined a fire that heavily damaged the Ramada Inn in town on Tuesday started in a dryer vent, according to a statement issued Friday by the Longview Fire Department.  Local fire investigators and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives determined the Ramada Inn fire originated in a dryer vent and spread rapidly through a chase, said Assistant Fire Chief Claude Ford.  The fire destroyed at least 50 rooms in the hotel complex and caused approximately $1.2 million in damage, officials said.

SANTA ROSA, CA - A clothes dryer fire brought fire crews out to Santa Rosa’s Roseland area early Thursday, where firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading beyond a corner of the garage.  Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Andy Pforsich said the 6:25 a.m. fire probably started in an accumulation of lint in the dryer vent.  The fire on Janero Drive off Stony Point Road, south of Sebastopol Road destroyed the dryer and the clothes inside, he said.

HOFFMAN STATES, IL - A laundry room fire caused approximately $30,000 in damage to a Hoffman Estates town house.  The Hoffman Estates Fire Department was notified of a dryer fire at 1811 Sessions Walk.  When the first responding units got to the scene they found light smoke coming from the two-story town house, a release from the Hoffman Estates Fire Department said.  Firefighters entered the town house and found that the fire had extended out of the laundry area of the second floor.  The unit sustained fire and smoke damage estimated at $30,000, according to the fire department.

SOUTH BEND, IN - A South Bend home is destroyed after a fire that broke out Friday afternoon.  Crews were called to the scene of a dryer fire and found heavy smoke coming from the home.  Investigators were quick to the scene, because they were looking into another fire a couple of blocks away.  One person was inside at the time. He got out uninjured, but crews say two pets did die in the fire.  Investigators say the home is a total loss.

QUINCY, IL - A dryer fire gets the blame for a late night blaze at 3rd and Hampshire in Quincy.  The fire caused major damage to the Peppco uniform company and the Grandview Church youth ministry building.  The fire started just after eleven pm in Peppco and quickly spread burning through the ceiling and up through the floor.  Both Peppco and the youth ministry sustained fire, smoke and water damage.

CORRYVILLE, OH - Three adults have been displaced by a Saturday evening residential fire during which Cincinnati firefighters rescued a woman stuck on the porch roof of a three-story building.  Officials said the fire was brought under control within 30 minutes.  A clothes dryer caused the fire, according to investigators. Smoke detectors were present but not in use.  Damage is estimated at $40,000 and no injuries were reported.

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITE, CA - A clothes dryer caused a fire at a Rancho Santa Margarita apartment complex this morning, authorities said.  The fire was reported at 8:15 a.m.  About 20 firefighters responded to the fire in the laundry room area of the complex.  The firefighters had it wrapped up by 10:25 a.m., Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg McKeown said.  The fire caused an estimated $75,000 damage to the structure and $25,000 to the contents of the complex.

ALEXANDRIA, VA - A barking pit bull alerted a family of five to a smoldering fire in the basement of an Alexandria townhouse this weekend, fire officials said.  Jasmine, a young pit bull, began barking after a fire broke out shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday in the basement of a brick duplex.  Smoke alarms sounded, but the family only heard the barking before emergency responders arrived.  Firefighters discovered a fire inside a wall behind a washer and dryer, which had started in the dryer vent.  Damage was estimated at $20,000.

BATTLE CREEK, MI - Fire caused about $115,000 damage to the home of Renee Edwards at 95 N. Cedar Ave. in Battle Creek.  The fire was reported to Battle Creek firefighters at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.  The fire was blamed on a clothes dryer.  No one was injured.

BRIDGEWATER, NOVA SCOTIA - The cause of a house fire is linked to a dryer running while no one was home, the province's Fire Marshal's Office determined.  Lint in a dryer pipe and a plastic vent hose were contributors, suggested Deputy Fire Marshal Derwin Swinemar, who determined the cause as accidental.  The single-storey home had flames shooting through its roof when the first responding officer of the Italy Cross-Middlewood fire department arrived.  Fire Chief Ron Whynot said the fire was too far advanced to save anything but despite the loss of the structure, firefighters did a credible job to get an intense blaze in hand in quick order.

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA - Four East St. Paul residents were injured earlier this morning when a fire broke out in the basement of their Henderson Highway home.  East St. Paul Fire Chief Ray Riddolls said they suspect the cause of the fire was due to lint catching fire in the dryer or the dryer vent.  Riddoll said the four residents were taken to hospital where they were treated and released.  He said an adult woman suffered cuts from window glass when she escaped the burning home.  The three other adult residents, two males and a female, were treated for smoke inhalation.

COLUMBUS, GA - Neighbors helped a man with Down syndrome escape his Columbus home Saturday after it caught on fire.  Around 9 a.m., a fire ignited in the Plantation Road home’s laundry room.   “The dryer had caught on fire and caught the room on fire, ” said Battalion Chief Terry Herring of Columbus Fire and Emergency Medical Services.  The young man, who is in his 20s, was in the house at the time.  Four fire trucks and one ambulance responded.  Firefighters were able to put out the fire in about five minutes and no one was hurt.  Herring estimated the house sustained about $10,000 worth of fire and smoke damage.

GUADALUPE, CA - Lint that built up in a clothes dryer caused a house fire in Guadalupe on Thursday afternoon, Fire Chief Jack Owen Jr. said.  Guadalupe firefighters, led by Capt. Richard Galindo, went to Surfbird Lane where they discovered a single-family home with heavy smoke showing from the garage and front door area, according to Owen.  The house, which had about $30,000 in damages to the structure and $70,000 to the contents, is uninhabitable so the residents - two adults and two children - are staying with relatives, Owen said.

TALLMADGE TOWNSHIP, MI - Fire investigators told owners of a spa damaged by a fire this morning that lint in a clothes dryer likely caused the blaze.  Amy Glass was at the spa this morning and had been doing laundry.  She started the dryer and left to go to her daughter's home about a mile away.  When she returned, the building was in flames.  The insured building sustained extensive water and smoke damage. Fire crews were shoveling insulation from the attic this morning.  Five departments responded to the fire.

EAST HARTFORD, CT - Backed up lint in a clothes dryer caught fire Monday evening at home on Cheshire Street, fire officials said.  The family of six made it out of the single family house.  The incident can serve as a lesson on appliance maintenance, said Assistant Fire Chief William Perez.  Perez said the dryer's vent pipe was clogged with lint.

PLATTSBURGH, NY - Tina Bushey was able to escape to safety with her baby midday Tuesday when a dryer fire sent flames shooting through her home.  The local mother called 911 and ran outside with her young child as smoke began to billow inside her Honey Drive home around 12:30 p.m.  Within minutes of the emergency call, District 3 firefighters arrived to find smoke coming out all sides of the residence. "We opened the door; there was a lot of black smoke, and it was well involved in the back end of the house," District 3 Second Assistant Chief Steve Fuller said.  Despite the fast action by more than 25 volunteers, the small house suffered extensive damage and is now considered a total loss.

HAMILTON, NJ - A couple with a small baby were temporarily displaced Monday night after a fire started in a dryer, causing their second-floor condo to fill with smoke.  Firefighters responded to a call at 8:40 p.m. for a dryer fire in a second-floor laundry closet.  The fire was contained to the dryer and quickly extinguished, but not before the condo had filled with smoke.  A neighbor attempting to help the couple combat the fire was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.  "This is a perfect example of why it's important to not run a dryer when you're not home," said Scott McCormick, fire marshall at Nottingham Volunteer Fire Co.  He said the fire's damage would have been much worse had the homeowners not been present to quickly call the fire department.

CONNEAUT, OH - A fire apparently sparked by a clothes dryer damaged a Harbor Street home early Monday morning, firefighters said. Firefighters from all three stations were sent to the address about 12:30 a.m.  The occupant said he had recently obtained the machines from a rental company.  Both machines were destroyed, firefighters said.  Fire personnel and equipment spent nearly two hours at the scene, according to the report.  The family was running the dryer when they went to bed.

MADISON TOWNSHIP, PA - An early morning fire destroyed a mobile home in Madison Township last Friday.  At about 1:48 a.m., Madisonville and surrounding fire departments responded to a blaze at Arido’s Trailer Park in Madison Township, Lackawanna County  The dwelling and the owner’s possessions were completely destroyed by the fire, according to the state police report.  An investigation revealed that the fire originated from a clothes dryer, spreading from there outward.

PEMBROKE, MA - Traci Milchunes was about to leave her house with her young children on Wednesday, when she heard the fire alarm go off.  Fire officials say the fire started in the clothes dryer and spread to the rest of the basement.  Fire Chief James Neenan said the house is not structurally damaged, but there is extensive smoke and water damage.  The Milchunes will not be able to return home for some time. Milchunes said she believes the fire had already started when she was feeding dinner to her children.  She feels lucky that her family was able to get out.   “I’m absolutely devastated, ” she said. “My kids are safe. I have my husband.  Everything else, they’re just things. ”

KENOSHA, WI - At about 5:35 p.m., firefighters were called to 2114 54th St. for a report of smoke in a basement.  According to Battalion Chief Matt Haerter, the fire originated inside a dryer and was confined to the appliance.  Haerter said smoke traveled throughout the two-level home, and all of its occupants were evacuated.  No one was injured. Haerter said the home was being ventilated so that the residents could return.

MENTOR, OH - Mentor Fire responded to a blaze Monday night which caused approximately $3,000 in damage to a home on Acacia Avenue. The department received the call at 9:56 p.m. and responded to a report of a house filling with smoke.  Upon arrival firefighters found a house charged with smoke from a dryer vent fire in the basement.  The cause of the fire was determined to be a lint buildup in the flexible dryer vent hose.  The occupant did not have any working smoke detectors inside of the house.

APPLETON, WI - One person was taken to a hospital with minor smoke inhalation after a dryer fire Wednesday morning.  Lori Casey, public education specialist for the Appleton Fire Department, said an unidentified number of residents from the two-unit rental home exited the home before firefighters arrived after the 11:07 a.m. call.  She said the fire started in the basement and was traced to a plugged dryer vent.  She said one person was taken to a hospital as a precautionary measure with smoke inhalation.  The home sustained light to moderate smoke damage but no fire damage, she said.

MUSKEGON, MI - A dryer fire at a North Muskegon nursing home Tuesday is under investigation by fire officials.  North Muskegon Fire Department officials responded to Hillcrest Nursing Centre at 8:35 p.m.  No one at the facility was injured as a result of fire, which was contained to the dryer, said Fire Chief Steve Lague.  The approximately 55 residents of the single-story building were moved to a safer part of the building when the incident occurred, Lague said.

ATHENS, GA - A clothes dryer ignited a fire that damaged a South Oconee house Monday morning, Oconee County Fire Chief Bruce Thaxton said.  Firefighters were called to the home at 8:10 a.m. and used about 4,000 gallons of water to douse the fire, Thaxton said.  Flames gutted the basement and ran up a wall, burning a second-floor bedroom and part of the attic, he said.  Though considered an accidental fire, firefighters asked the state Fire Marshal's Office to investigate.

NIAGARA FALLS, NY - A dryer fire in the basement of a home at 6614 Lindbergh Ave. caused an undetermined amount of damage at about 1:30 p. m. Saturday, fire officials said.  The fire caused heavy smoke damage throughout the house, but fire damage was contained to an area around the dryer, according to reports.

PADDOCK LAKE, WI - A woman is dead after a house fire in Paddock Lake in Kenosha County.  Authorities say the woman, 48, was killed inside her home, likely from smoke inhalation.  "First we initiated a search and rescue, found a victim on the floor, removed the victim, then we had one small room on fire, the utility room that appeared to be coming from the dryer," said Town of Salem Fire Chief Mike Slover.  The woman was given CPR and taken to St. Catherine's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.  Investigators say a buildup of lint in the clothes dryer is to blame. They say it was smoldering from some time, but never ignited.  The smoke and fumes filled the house.

MILLS RIVER, NC - Allan Corthell, a sheriff’s deputy and Mills River volunteer firefighter, has responded to a lot of emergencies, but was in for a shock when he helped fight a fire at his own house.  Corthell, 43, was on patrol for the Sheriff’s Office when he received a call from his 11-year-old son, Robert, telling him that his home was on fire.   “My wife and son were home and had been doing some cleaning, ” he said. “My wife, Cyndi, started the dryer and went back to cleaning.  Later my son thought he smelled smoke and when they checked the laundry room the dryer was on fire. ”  Firefighters were dispatched to the home on Morris Road at 5:47 p.m., according to Mills River Fire Chief Rick Livingston.   “We had the fire under control in 10 minutes, ” he said. “There was heavy fire damage to two downstairs rooms and heavy smoke damage to the second level. ”

MAPLETON, IL - A dryer fire quickly spread in Mapleton house this morning causing extensive damage.  One resident in the home suffered a minor burn on the hand.  When firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire had spread to the second floor and was fully involved.  Five other departments were called into to help.  Firefighters ran into problems with the hydrants on the scene.   “We have hydrants here but basically we are away from the water supply and this is a pretty maxi flow today, bigger than you normally have.  So we were pulling a lot of water and need a lot more water, ” said Limestone Assistant Fire Chief Gary Kantner.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - A dryer caused a home to burn to the ground.  Just before 11 p.m., a man woke to the smell of something burning in his mobile home and found flames coming from the dryer, said West Valley City Assistant Fire Chief Kris Romijn.  After failing to put out the fire with a bucket of water, the man ran from the house with his wife and 1 1/2-year-old child, Romijn said.  Firefighters doused the flames within about 35 minutes, but the home was a total loss.

MARSTONS MILLS, MA - A family was forced out of its home Wednesday night after a dryer fire spread to walls and ceiling in a basement. Firefighters from the Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills fire department found heavy fire in the basement and spreading to the upstairs of the house when they first arrived at 152 Bridle Path, according to a press release from the department.

OCEANSIDE, CA - A fire in a clothes dryer caused about $5,000 in damage to an Oceanside home Wednesday morning and forced a family out of the house for the night, authorities said.  The fire was reported a little after 10 a.m., Oceanside fire Battalion Chief Rob Dunham said. The fire was confined to the inside of a dryer in an alcove off the kitchen and firefighters quickly extinguished it, Dunham said.  The fire did not damage the structure, but caused smoke damage throughout the home.  It was the second dryer fire Oceanside firefighters have responded to this month.

PRESTATYN, UK- A MUM last night said she and her baby were “lucky to be alive ” after her tumble dryer burst into flames and destroyed her kitchen.  Emma Williams found her kitchen engulfed in smoke and roaring fire.  It is the sixth tumble dryer fire in North Wales this month. Emma said she was left shaken by the incident.   “When I went back into the kitchen, there was smoke everywhere - I dialled 999 and the fire service were here for two hours - my kitchen was totally destroyed. ”  She added: “The rest of the house is ruined and I’ve had to move out and stay with family.  Dave Evans, community safety manager, said: “We are getting concerned about the number of incidents involving tumble dryers that we have attended in the last month.   “ Since the January 5, we have been called to six house fires which have started as a result of a tumble dryer. ”

MADISON, NJ- A fire that started in a dryer displaced a North Street family with three children, the fire chief and the Red Cross said.  A resident put clothes in the dryer and noticed flames coming out of it a few minutes later, fire Chief Douglas Atchison said.  After unsuccessfully trying to put out the fire with an extinguisher, a resident in the house called 911, and the family evacuated around 11 a.m., Atchison said.  Atchison said the fire was an accident, possibly caused by a dryer malfunction or a buildup of lint.  Madison firefighters extinguished the blaze, and no injuries were reported, Atchison said.

PALM SPRINGS, CA- A laundry room fire sent one person to a hospital and forced people to evacuate the JW Marriott Desert Springs resort. Firefighters were called to the resort about 6:30 p.m. after a clothing dryer caught fire, according to Cal Fire.  A person suffered smoke inhalation in the fire, which was confined to a laundry room.  The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to Cal Fire.  About 50 guests and hotel staff were evacuated while firefighters cleared the scene.

FON DU LAC, WI - A Fond du Lac family escaped injury during a Saturday night house fire.  The fire came from a dryer on the second floor of the home, said Fond du Lac Fire Department Battalion Chief John Duffy.  Duffy noted that the daughter of homeowners David and Debra Kraemer was doing laundry around 8 p.m. when the fire started.  He added the girl got her brother out of the home when the fire began to spread.  Duffy said the second floor received heavy fire damage and the first floor received water damage.

NOVI, MI - The fire marshal determined a dryer vent caused a blaze, which damaged four apartment units near Nine Mile and Haggerty roads.   “We have found that the accidental cause of the fire was a Kenmore gas dryer, ” said Novi Fire Chief Frank Smith.   “It appears that this dryer vent, which is exhausted to the outside, had become detached and was not fixed to the dryer itself, and it does get hot. ”   “The actual damage was confined to about four units, ” said Smith, noting the three or four families who were unable to stay in their apartments overnight stayed in Novi hotels.   “The fire traveled up a common wall from the first floor to the second floor. ”  Smith recommends residents have dryer vents cleaned, keep combustibles away from the vents and use rigid flexible aluminum vent ducts, not plastic.

SHEPPTON, PA - On Sunday night, a Sheppton home was severely damaged and a house pet died when fire apparently erupted in a clothes dryer.  Firefighters from the Sheppton-Oneida Volunteer Fire Company arrived at 21 W. Market St. to find flames shooting from the building. Sheppton-Oneida Assistant Fire Chief Kyle Mummey said initial findings suggest the fire began in a clothes dryer in the rear of the single home.  Tan siding melted to gray near the rear door of the home.  Mummey said the first floor sustained severe fire damage and the second floor sustained smoke and water damage.

HIGHLAND PARK, KS - Several people got out of their Highland Park home safely on Sunday afternoon when a dryer fire was discovered in the basement of the residence, authorities said.  Topeka firefighters were called at 2:20 p.m. to a home on a report of a dryer fire. Firefighters using water cans extinguished the blaze quickly, then ventilated smoke - most of which was confined to the basement - from the home.  Battalion Chief Eric Bauer said the blaze is believed to have started as a result of lint catching on fire in the dryer.

GULFPORT, MS - A fire that started in a clothes dryer Wednesday night damaged a home at 8183 Wisteria St., said Fire Chief Pat Sullivan. Fifteen firefighters and six units responded to the 11:29 p.m. call and found the dryer ablaze in the laundry room.  Sullivan said the fire was an accident.  A resident was home when the fire started.

MONSON, MA - Firefighters rescued a cat and dog from a home on Tuesday after an electric clothes dryer caused a fire in the cellar, Fire Chief George L. Robichaud reported on Wednesday.  Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in 10-15 minutes, but the cause was difficult to locate initially because of heavy smoke, the chief said.  The fire caused between $15,000 and $20,000 worth of damage.  It spread from the dryer to bags of wood pellets stored nearby, and the entire house suffered smoke damage, said the chief.  The dog and cat suffered smoke inhalation, but were expected to survive after veterinary treatment, he said.

SHELOCTA, IN - Three people were left homeless Monday evening when fire wrecked their mobile home.  Jessica Dean, the emergency services coordinator for the Indiana County Chapter of the America Red Cross, said Dennis and Debbie Gardner lost everything in the fire, but the Gardners and their child were not hurt.  Firefighters from Indiana’s Company 4, Elderton and Indiana County’s Rapid Intervention Team responded to the alarm at 11:15 p.m.  Indiana’s First Assistant Chief Scott Schuller said the fire apparently began in the back of the home’s clothes dryer.

HECTOR, NY - Fire officials think a problem with a dryer vent in a laundry room caused the fire on Tuesday afternoon.  The homeowner got out safely, but two of her cats died.  The Odessa fire chief says the trailer was badly damaged and is not livable.

GLIDDEN, IA - A house fire in Glidden today killed a teenage girl and sent three people to the hospital.  The house was almost engulfed by the time the fire department arrived.  Four people were at home at the time of the fire.  A 49-year-old man, a 6-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl escaped.  The teenage girl was found dead in a bedroom on the main floor.  Carroll County Sheriff Doug Bass said the man helped the two youngest children escape and was injured while trying to rescue the teen.  Preliminary results indicate the possible cause as lint build-up in the dryer vent.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA - The littlest victims of a Sunday afternoon fire in Davie had claws, whiskers and a taste for milk.  At least nine cats were rescued and treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in the four-story building Davie Fire-Rescue spokesman Braulio Rosa said.  The entire building was evacuated, Rosa said, and firefighters doused the flames.  But along with rescuing all the people, firefighter also had to corral nine cats that one woman owned, Rosa said.  ''We're treating all of them for minor smoke inhalation,'' Rosa said.  The fire appears to have started in a dryer, Rosa said.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA - The residents of a trailer escaped harm Thursday night, but their three dogs died in a fire that was blamed on a clothes dryer.  Firefighters were called at 10 p.m. to the 200 block of Stardust Circle near Denbigh Boulevard on a report of a fire, said Deputy Chief Scott Liebold.  One of the residents apparently tried to put out the fire, but wasn’t able to get the flames under control, Liebold said.  He reminded residents to call the fire department before trying to handle a fire on their own.

GREENVILLE, NC - A high school student coming home from exams discovered his house on fire about 12:30 p.m. Thursday.  Scott Barber, 18, saw smoke in his garage after returning home from J.H. Rose High School, where he had completed his drafting class final exam. Barber said he opened the laundry room door and thick, dark smoke rolled out.  Firefighters told Chuck Barber and his wife, Judy, that it appears laundry in their dryer overheated and caught fire.  The fire traveled up the dryer vent and burned about an hour, eventually setting a large portion of the attic on fire, Chuck Barber said.  Barber said friends pointed out [Scott] most likely saved the house and Jake.

TALAHASSEE, FL - A dryer is to blame for a fire Wednesday that displaced at least one family from its home in Spring Garden Township. Barry Emig, deputy chief for York Area United Fire & Rescue, said the fire began in the basement of one-half of a duplex.  Raquel Beaton said she was at home with her two daughters when her 11-year-old daughter smelled something smoking.  Beaton opened her basement door and saw her dryer in flames.  She then left the house with her daughters and called 911, she said.

TALAHASSEE, FL - A Barking dog may have saved the lives of two Tallahassee residents early Wednesday morning.  A spokesman with the Tallahassee Fire Department says it happened at a home at Bottom Road.  The dryer caught fire and flames did about 20-thousand dollars damage to the home.  Firefighters say there were no smoke detectors in the home, and they say the dog woke the family up and they were able to get out safely.

HAVANA, IL - A Havana house was destroyed Sunday by a fire caused by a clothes dryer, Fire Chief John Kachanuk said.  The fire was extinguished in around 30 minutes.  The homeowners were at home when the fire started but escaped without injury.  Kachanuk said the house and its contents are a total loss, with damages estimated at $150,000.

OAK FOREST, IL - Debbie DeLorenzo was home alone in the late morning doing laundry when she heard the smoke detector go off in her basement laundry room.  When she went to check it out, she didn't see flames.  But the room had begun to fill with thick smoke.  She later would learn a fire had started in the clothes dryer vent.  Within a couple of minutes, Oak Forest firefighters were inside battling thick smoke and quickly put out the fire.  The fire destroyed her dryer, damaged her clothes washer and damaged the insulation behind them.

PRINCETON, NJ - Flames engulfed a house on Marion Road West in Princeton Thursday night, destroying the house and leaving little but rubble inside.  Police and firefighters reported to the scene shortly after 9 p.m., after the family reported smoke coming out of a dryer.  The dryer had caused problems earlier in the day, requiring son Brad Schreffler to put out a small fire with an extinguisher, but he said he thought the dryer was fine after that.  "We thought it was out, but then it went up the walls," said homeowner Janice Nini.  "This was a stubborn fire," Princeton Fire Department Chief Dan Tomalinsaid.  "There was heavy fire in the basement from the start and the compromise of flooring made it difficult to get to the pockets of fire in the basement."

VICTORIA, TX - Family escapes blaze started by early morning laundry.  Three people escaped an early morning house fire uninjured Thursday, but their home was destroyed.  Diana Rodriquez was drying and folding her laundry after 1 a.m. to avoid having to do the chore the next morning, she said.  She was in her bedroom when she noticed a strange smell coming from her utility room next door.  "I opened up the dryer and all these red flames leapt up," Rodriquez said.

METROPOLIS, IL - A house in Metropolis sustained smoke damage after a dryer in the basement caught fire Thursday morning.  A neighbor saw smoke and reported the fire shortly after 8.  Firefighters arrived on the scene moments later to put it out.

HELCA ISLAND, WINNIPEG, CANADA - More than 100 people had their New Year’s Eve revelry disrupted when a small fire broke out at Radisson Hecla Oasis Resort on Hecla Island shortly before 2008 gave way to 2009.  East Interlake RCMP said 124 guests and 19 employees were evacuated to the lobby when the blaze began in a dryer in the hotel’s laundry room around 10:45 p.m.  The fire was contained to the dryer but smoke filled much of the hotel, preventing guests from returning to their rooms for some time.  Damage is estimated at $5,000, but that figure doesn’t include smoke damage.

SOUTH BEND, IN - Firefighters were called to a house in the 600 block of North Preston Drive at 5 p.m. Monday.  A clothes dryer caught fire, according to a South Bend Fire Department report, which caused moderate smoke to waft through the house.  Flames were contained to the dryer in a utility room.

MERCED, CA - Flames erupted at a Merced assisted living facility early Sunday, after a laundry dryer caught fire. The fire was reported shortly before 6 a.m. at the Courtyard at Merced.  Investigators believe the dryer's lint trap caught fire, according to Battalion Chief Mark Akers.  He said the fire caused about $8,000 damage.

TORQUAY, ENGLAND, UK - MORE than 100 guests were evacuated from a Torquay hotel during a fire.  The blaze happened at the Rainbow International Hotel in Belgrave Road.  When the alarm sounded guests followed the hotel's evacuation procedure and made their way to the car park.  Three fire crews attended the hotel after reports of a fire in the lower ground floor.  When they arrived shortly before 5pm they found smoke coming from a tumble dryer.  Watch manager Nott said the fire was caused by a dryer.  A receptionist at the 140-room hotel said the fire had caused only superficial damage to the laundry room.

DULUTH, GA - A Friday night fire in a Duluth house appears to have accidentally started in a clothes dryer, Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services spokesman Capt. Thomas Rutledge said.  The fire started in the appliance on the second floor with slight extension to the attic, Rutledge said.  Firefighters found smoke showing from the front of the two-story, and the blaze was quickly knocked down by first-due fire crews, Rutledge said.

FORT WAYNE, IN - A dryer fire caused minor smoke damage to the Towne House Retirement Community on Saturday morning, the Fort Wayne Fire Department said.  The building, at 2209 St. Joe Center Road., sustained minor smoke and water damage.  Firefighters arrived at 9:52 a.m. and had the fire under control by 10:07 a.m. after containing the fire to a dryer.  The fire department credited the sprinkler system in helping contain the fire.  One employee was treated after inhaling a small amount of smoke while discovering the fire, the department said.She was treated at the scene and released.