Dryer Fire Articles (2011)

JANESVILLE, WI - A dryer fire in Janesville caused about $50,000 in damages Tuesday afternoon.  The Janesville Fire Department says when it arrived at about 3:10 p.m., black smoke was coming from the home.  Callers say a man ran into the home and they did not see him come out.  But once firefighters arrived, the man ran outside coughing.  He was the only one in the home.  Firefighters had to knock out windows to let heat and smoke out before they were able to extinguish the fire.  Homeowners say they thought they put out a dryer fire at about 2:30 p.m.

ORLANDO, FL - Lint inside a clothes dryer caused a fire at an Orlando apartment complex early Wednesday morning, Orange County firefighters said.  Clothes inside the dryer caught fire, causing smoke to fill the second floor apartment, firefighters said.  Five apartments on Rock Harbor Avenue were evacuated as a precaution.  Firefighters removed window screens and opened windows to vent the smoke.

WESTBORO,MA - A dryer fire in a lower-level laundry room about 2 this morning drew a number of firefighters and caused the evacuation of the first two floors of the eight floors of Fountainhead Apartments, 293 Turnpike Road.  Fire Capt. Bob Rand said the sprinklers in the building put out the fire in the dryer, but generated a lot of smoke and steam.

MANALAPAN, NJ - Manalapan Police have confirmed that the fire originally began as a dryer fire.  According to police, a resident of the home called at 11:17 a.m. to report a dryer fire.  At 11:21 a.m. the resident called the police back to inform them that the fire had spread and turned into a working structure fire.  Fire units and patrols responded, but the whole house was eventually effected by the fire.  Englishtown Fire Department Chief Pete Hall said that he was one of the first on the scene and quickly responded to the fire with one engine and a utility.  Heavy smoke was seen billowing from the home as the trucks arrived which usually indicates that the fire is well underway, according to Hall, who also confirmed that the flames originated from the laundry room.

BURLINGTON, ON CANADA - A clothes dryer was destroyed in a fire late last week.  The Burlington Fire Department said that around 11:25 a.m. on Friday (Dec. 16) a resident in the Millcroft community reported smoke coming from their dryer.  The blaze destroyed the dryer, caused damage to the laundry room and filled the home with smoke.  The damage estimate is $10,000.  Fire officials say multiple 90-degree bends in the venting system caused an accumulation of lint in the dryer's piping resulting in poor air flow, which caused the dryer to overheat and ignite lint in the bottom of the dryer.

GRIMETHORPE, UK - A COUPLE had to flee their home last night when fire broke out in their kitchen.  The fire, that started from a tumble dryer, was discovered around 7.15pm at Dewfield Close, Grimethorpe.  Fire crews from Cudworth and Royston stations attended the blaze in a semi-detached home after the occupants had got out safely.  They left the scene at 8.50pm.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A Thousand Oaks preschool was evacuated Thursday morning because of a fire in a clothes dryer, the Ventura County Fire Department reported.&nbs The fire was reported shortly after 11 a.m. at the school, in the 200 block of Erbes Road.  No injuries were reported.

JOHNSON CITY, TN - Firefighters believe an unattended dryer sparked a fire that damaged a Johnson City home.&nbs Crews responded to the house on Hamilton St. just before three-thirty this afternoon.  Firefighters say it appears no one was home at the time of the fire.  Crews say their initial investigation has revealed the flames started around the laundry room, specifically the dryer.

FRESNO, CA - Five people, including two kids, are looking for a place to stay and mourning the death of their pets after a fire ripped through their home.  It happened around 11 a.m. Wednesday near Chestnut and Church in Southeast Fresno.  Investigators believe lint buildup in a clothes dryer sparked the fire, which quickly spread to the rest of the home.  Two dogs and several cats died in the fire.  Damage is estimated at $80,000.

EDMONTON, CANADA - A dryer fire that ignited in the home home of Donnie Schultz and Lacey Crabbe destroyed all of the family's possessions.  The couple has five children all of which were able to escape the home.  "They were still in their diapers and stuff and didn't have enough clothes," Schultz told CTV News.  "Ten more seconds and they probably wouldn't have made it out."

WALNUT HILLS, OH - A woman in her 60's is forced to jump from a second story window to safety after flames consume her Walnut Hills home.  The fire started Wednesday in a carriage house.  The woman who lives in the house told firefighters she heard strange noises coming from the dryer, so she unplugged it.  A short time later the house was fully engulfed in flames.  Thanks to two students, she managed to come down ten feet to safety.  One of the neighbors braced her fall while the other kept her from hitting the ground.  The woman who lived in the home is okay, but her house is destroyed.  Investigators do believe the fire started in her dryer.

ORLANDO, FL - Two parents and their two young children had to make a run for it when their dryer sparked a fire inside their Orange County apartment.  The man who lives there told WFTV his wife was doing laundry when the fire started.  The woman had some minor burns on her foot.  The couple was able to grab their two children and get out.  Their apartment was heavily damaged.  Two nearby units also had some water damage.

GRAND JUNCTION, CO - The cause has been released for a fire that ripped through a home Friday morning.  Friday's fire at Serenade Court left the family homeless and killed one cat.  It has been ruled accidental.  The fire was determined to have originated in the dryer vent.  Officials say the fire started in lint in the back of the dryer and then traveled inside the vent pipe where the fire then vented outside under a step.  The fire then ignited flammable items, spread to the exterior wall and the attic space.

MURFREESBORO, TN - A Leanna area home was destroyed today when a clothes dryer sparked a fire in the residence, according to Rutherford County Fire Chief Larry Farley.  The home caught fire around 10:30 a.m. when one of its residents put loads of clothes in the washer and dryer and went outside, Farley reported.  "More than likely, what happened is the dryer overheated and caught the room on fire," Farley said, noting it started in the laundry room.  He warned residents to check the lint filter in their clothes dryer each time they use it to make sure the line doesn't get clogged.  Rutherford County Fire/Rescue received a call about smoke at the residence around 10:30 a.m., but by the time units arrived flames were already visible through the roof, Farley said.  Firefighters from Rutherford County, Walter Hill and Almaville volunteer departments responded, along with Special Operations and Emergency Medical Services, and put out the fire within 15 minutes.  But the home sustained severe damage and is likely lost, Farley said.

QUAIL CREEK, TX - A clothes dryer caught fire, sending smoke into a home in the Quail Creek subdivision.  The family of five was in the house and noticed the lights were flickering, so they decided to check it out.  They went to the utility room and found it full of smoke, said Terry Burkhart, the family's mother.  The family left the house and called the fire department.  The dryer was removed from the house and the fire was extinguished by the Quail Creek Volunteer Fire Department, the Raisin Volunteer Fire Department and the Victoria Fire Department.  There was smoke damage throughout the house, said Quail Creek Volunteer Fire Chief Ron Kramer.

PALO ALTO, CA - Palo Alto firefighters extinguished a blaze that broke out in a dryer at a Moreno Avenue home Friday afternoon.  Firefighters found smoke billowing from the front door of a home, according to the fire department.  After employees with the city's utilities department shut off the natural gas and electricity, firefighters entered the home and extinguished a fire in the dryer.  While the blaze was contained to the dryer, there was smoke damage throughout the home, according to the fire department.  A preliminary investigation determined that the fire originated in the area below the lint trap.

WELLINGTON, KS - A late night fire in Wellington causes damage to a home on F street.  The home endured $6,000 worth of loss due to the fire that was started by a clothes dryer.  "Firefighters entered the front door to complete a search for occupants and to extinguish the fire," said Chief, Tim Hay. "Fire damage was confined to the dryer area of the house, and there was smoke damage throughout the home."

BROOKFIELD, WI - City of Brookfield firefighters responded to a report of a building on fire in the 18200 block of Beverly Hills Drive.  Firefighters arrived to find that the homeowner had used a dry chemical fire extinguisher to suppress a fire inside a clothes dryer prior to arrival, according to a report.  Lint had clogged the vent hose.

FEDERAL WAY, WA - Flames tore through a home along the 28200 block of South 15th Ave. earlier this morning.  Heavy smoke could be seen shooting from the front door.  Firefighters say a mother and her two kids, both under 5-years-old, were home at the time.  The woman got her children and dog out of the house as the fire quickly spread.  Firefighters say the fire started in the dryer.  The damage is estimated around $300,000.

HUNTSVILLE, AL - A house fire in north Huntsville left a family out in the cold.  Lafayette Moore Jr. says he was visiting his mother when he saw smoke and flames coming from the back of the house near the washroom.  When fire fighters arrived, they say the flames were going through the roof and coming out of the front door and the windows.  It took several Huntsville fire units to get the blaze under control.  Investigators believe that the dryer caught on fire.  They say lint is one of the leading causes for your dryer to catch fire, especially if it builds up.  Cleaning your dryer duct on a regular basis will help prevent accidents.

IOWA CITY, IA - The Iowa City Fire Department responded to a clothes dryer on fire at a condo building at 511 Westwinds Drive.  The fire department responded with three engines, a ladder truck and a battalion chief.  Fire crews found a fire concealed in the wall and floor near the laundry room and brought the fire under control within 30 minutes.  Crews were on the scene for just over two hours.  The damage to the structure and its contents is estimated at $16,000.00.

BOSTON, MA - Dozens of people were displaced from their homes yesterday because of a clothes dryer that sparked a fast-moving 5-alarm fire in Mission Hill.  "A build up of lint" in a dryer led to the blaze, the fire department said.  One woman was taken to a hospital for some inhalation and firefighters had to kick in a door and rescue a woman trapped inside after the fire broke out about 12:45 a.m. Sunday.  It took about 130 firefighters hours to put out the blaze.  They smashed windows in neighboring buildings to try to put out the fire from various sides.  Sixty people were initially displaced from homes on nearby Wait Street because water run off spilled in to those buildings.  Fire officials estimated the damage from the fire at $1.2 million.

INVERCARGILL, NEW ZEALAND - A clothes dryer appears to have caused the fire that destroyed a south Invercargill property.  Four engines, from the Invercargill and Kingswell stations, and police attended the incident.  Fire Service Invercargill senior station officer Gordon Rodgers said the house had been seriously damaged by the blaze.  "Pretty much the whole property was affected by water and smoke damage, and there was extensive fire damage to about 50 per cent of it as well," he said.  Fire investigation officers had looked around the property and had found the fire was caused by a clothes dryer at the back of the garage, one of three flats up the shared driveway, Mr Rodgers said.  The fire had then spread throughout the remainder of the home, he said.

MCDONALD, TN - A fire has left a Bradley County family homeless.  Adam and Pamela Childs' Parks Road home went up in flames Wednesday night, destroying everything but the clothes on their backs.  Bradley County Fire officials say the fire will likely be ruled an accident.  By the time firefighters arrived, the 2,000 square foot home was fully engulfed in flames, forcing them to work late into the night to get the fire under control. Firefighters estimate the dollar loss around $170,000.  Investigators say the blaze started in the dryer, which was left running while the family went out for dinner.

KINGSTON, NH - A fire in a dryer vent sparked a fire that damaged a three-season porch Thursday morning, fire officials said.  The fire began just before 8 a.m. underneath the porch.  Homeowner Charlene Pigulski said she discovered the fire when she went into the laundry room to get her clothes as she was preparing for work.  She said she opened the dryer to get her clothes, shut the door, and then noticed flames shooting out from the area of the dryer vent.  We had fire coming out above the roof line and a lot of smoke," said Plaistow Fire Chief John McArdle, who was among the first at the scene.  McArdle said the fire appeared to have started in the dryer vent.

MALVERNE, NY - A dryer fire sent Malverne police and firefighters racing to a home on Ocean Avenue Friday afternoon across from Malverne High School.  They arrived at the scene around noon to find heavy smoke coming from the laundry room the firefighters, led by Assistant Chief Scott Rung, quickly extinguished the blaze.  No one was seriously injured but one man who was home at the time of the incident was sent to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.  One of the southbound lanes of Ocean Avenue was temporarily closed as Malverne F.D. Police directed traffic around the engines.

DAVENPORT,IA - The family displaced by a fire in their apartment in Davenport stand on the sidewalk as Davenport firefighters secure the scene on Thursday.  Firefighters were called to the building around 11:15 a.m. and had the fire out within minutes, Fire District Chief Rick Flynn said at the scene.  The family attempted to put out the fire burning in the clothes dryer with a fire extinguisher, District Chief Flynn said.  When they were unsuccessful, they left the building.  The rest of the building was also evacuated.

PITTSBURG, TX - At 10 a.m., Glen Butler called a fire in to the Pittsburg Volunteer Fire Department at Moreland St., across from Emmanuel Baptist Church.  Kyle Williams, who spotted the fire, went to Mr. Butler and got him to call it in.  Firefighters say a dryer caused the fire, destroying the utility room and causing a lot of smoke damage to the house. 

New York, NY - A fire broke out at a residential high-rise on West End Avenue Monday morning, authorities said.  The blaze started inside a clothes dryer on the ninth floor of 924 West End Ave., at 105th Street, FDNY sources said.  Residents of the 12-story building reported smelling smoke in the hallways, but no one was injured in the incident, the fire department said.  A firefighter at the scene said the fire started due to excess lint in the dryer.

MONTGOMERY, AL - Montgomery firefighters extinguished a fire Wednesday morning that damaged a house in north Montgomery.  The Montgomery Fire Department received the call at 9:07 a.m. about a house on fire.  Units arrived on the scene at 9:12 and had the fire under control by 9:23 a.m.  Fire investigators determined the blaze was accidental and was caused by a buildup of lint in the dryer, said Chief Harold Bellinger, a spokesman for the Fire Department.  The house was occupied when the fire started, but everyone escaped safely and there were no injuries to residents or firefighters, Bellinger said.  There was heavy damage to the laundry room and moderate damage to the structure, Bellinger said.

BENNINGTON, NE - A Bennington family lost everything after their dryer caught fire Thursday afternoon.  In a matter of minutes, their home was filled with black soot.  Sean Vorel said he was working outside when he saw the flames.  He ran inside to find the dryer engulfed.  Vorel got his wife and three children out of the house, and then he said he tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.  When his attempts to put out the fire failed, he called for help.  “By the time the fire department got here, there was smoke rolling out the windows,” Vorel said.  Without renter's insurance, they'll have to pay out of pocket for repairs.

DOVER, OH - Fire Capt. Mike Mossor said the fire, reported at 12:43 p.m. by a neighbor, originated in a clothes dryer that was operating at the time.  Mossor said no one was home, adding that firefighters found fire in the basement and “a lot of smoke coming out of the house.”  He noted that the fire burned a lot of items in the laundry room area, such as clothing, and caused major smoke damage throughout the house.  Firefighters were assisted at the scene by the New Philadelphia Fire Department and Smith Ambulance Service.

MADISONVILLE, KY - Caretenders Home Health of Madisonville, Hancock Bank, and iSurf News are currently collecting both items and monetary donations for Manitou area resident Jennifer Patterson and her family.  As friends and supporters explain, Patterson lost her entire home and belongings to a fire that began around 2:30-3am this morning, September 29th. The fire began within the household's dryer and spread outward.  Fortunately, no injuries were sustained.  Fire departments responding to the scene included the Nebo, Dixon, and Hanson Volunteer Fire Departments.

PALMYRA, TN - A house was destroyed by fire Tuesday morning.  Palmyra Fire Chief Mike Donaghey said fire started in a dryer vent and went on to consume the 1,600-square-foot home.  Palmyra firefighters, with the help of other county volunteer fire departments, battled the blaze.  “The fire had a big head start and (the house was) was totally engulfed before we received the call,” Donaghey said.  He said no one was injured, but that one dog was killed in the blaze.

PETALUMA, CA - A fire damaged a garage in Petaluma Sunday, but was prevented from entering the home, authorities said.  The fire at Prince Albert Way was reported at about 9 a.m..  Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from a garage filled with items being stored there, the Petaluma Fire Department reported.  Firefighters removed the outer garage doors to attack the flames and were able to limit damage to the garage's contents and a laundry area, the fire department said in a statement.  The cause was believed to stem from a clothes dryer.

JACKSON, MS - Ventilation issues in a dryer are believed to have started a fire that gutted a home at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday, said Jackson Fire Department Investigator Greg Travis.  The home was fully engulfed in smoke and flames when firefighters arrived, he said.

GLENDALE HEIGHTS, IL - Officers from the Glendale Heights Police Department and Glenside Fire Protection District responded to a structure fire around 1:25 p.m. today.  Neighbors in the 0 to 100 block of Opal Avenue noticed smoke coming from the single-family home and dialed 911.  Upon arrival, smoke was observed coming from the building.  The fire was contained within the interior of the home.  In addition to fire damage, the interior suffered smoke damage. Fire Investigators determined the fire was related to the clothes dryer in the home.

SUN PRAIRIE, MT - A fire in Sun Prairie on Monday has left several people homeless.  Three people and a small child were home when the house went up in flames; they all escaped with no reported injuries.  Karen Sallee said, “My son called me frantic and said that the house was on fire and a quick call to 911 and I did.”  The residents were able to make it out, but they weren't able to save two pets - a dog and a puppy - that were in the house.  Sallee said,“The fire department got here as fast as they could, but it was too late. There was nothing left.”  Residents believe it was lint in a dryer vent that caught fire and spread to the house.

SPRINGFIELD, MA - A fire that was sparked by an overheated dryer, closed down a local business and caused about $10,000 in damages, Fire Department Capt. Michael R. Richard said.  The fire was reported at about 5:45 p.m.  The Fire Department responded within a minute and quickly extinguished the blaze, he said.  The flames were contained to the dryer but there was some smoke and water damage in the store so it closed Sunday.  Other businesses in the strip mall where the laundromat was located were undamaged in the fire, he said.

WATERBURY, CT - A fire in a dryer this afternoon damaged a home on Alma Street.  Firefighters from Engine 4 were first on scene, and extended a water line to the home shortly after the fire was called in at 2:09 p.m.  The quick response helped contain the fire to the dryer, which was on the first floor, and a nearby area, Deputy Fire Chief Rick Hart said.

CULLOWHEE, NC - No students were harmed after a clothes dryer started a fire in Catamount Peaks Apartments.  The Cullowhee Fire Department responded to a call around 10:30 p.m. about a fire on the fourth floor of the top building in the apartment complex, according to Cullowhee Fire Chief Tim Green.  The fire was put out in about 15 minutes, Green said, with Sylva, Savannah and Balsam fire departments provided mutual aid.  Green said the cause of the fire may have had to do with excess lint in the dryer.

RICHLAND, MI - A house has mainly smoke damage after a dryer caught fire Saturday afternoon.  According to Fire Chief Cal Callison, Richland Township Fire Department was dispatched at about 2:46 p.m. on Saturday to East Vestaburg Road for a structure fire.  "I believe the dryer vent was plugged and it caught the dryer on fire," Callison said.  He said no one was injured in the blaze and the house is insured.

DANVILLE, VA - Lint built up in a dryer started a fire in a Danville home Tuesday evening.&nbs The Danville Fire Department was dispatched for the report of a structure fire, according to a news release from the Danville Fire Department.  The first crews to arrive on scene entered the house to discover a dryer and area around the dryer was on fire.  The fire department stresses the importance of checking dryers for lint build up on a regular bases.  The cause of the fire was lint buildup, the release stated.  In all 17 personnel were at the scene more than an hour.

MECOSTA, MI - Fire Officials believe a clothing dryer is to blame for starting a fire.  It happened on Cramer Dr. in Mecosta Township.  Officials say a single-wide trailer sustained minor damage after a clothes dryer caught fire.  No injuries were reported.

OTTAWA, CANADA - Ottawa fire crews knocked down a laundry room fire in east Ottawa Sunday morning before it could spread to the rest of its rowhouse.  Ottawa Fire Services said they got a call Sunday to a dryer fire in Gloucester.  They said they were able to confine the damage to the basement, keeping it from spreading to the upper floors or neighbouring units.  Damage is estimated at $25,000.

AMHERST TOWNSHIP, OH - A dryer fire left a family of 11 homeless.  Four of nine children were at the home when the fire started, and everyone made it out unharmed.  A cat named Sammy did not survive the blaze, but another cat and dog got out.  Tony Ellis, the father, said the dryer started smoking.  Ellis said he thought he had succeeded in putting out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but smoke started coming from a wall.  Cathy Ellis said her husband yelled for everyone to get out of the house.  Amherst Fire Chief Wayne Northheim described the damage to the house and contents as a total loss.  Northeim said investigators had narrowed the fire's cause to the dryer.  Northheim said dryer fires can be caused by lint buildup or malfunctions.

ALICE, TX - A fire that started from a clogged dryer hose, left an Alice home uninhabitable, officials said.  The Alice Fire Department responded about 3 p.m. to the 500 block of West 5th Street to a fire in the home.  The fire was out in about 30 minutes, but the home sustained smoke damage and destroyed the kitchen, Fire Chief Dean Van Nest said.  There were about $30,000 of damages, he said.

SHEBOYGAN, WI - A dryer is to blame for an apartment fire above The Cove tavern Wednesday evening.  According to a press release from the Sheboygan Fire Department: Firefighters responded to the report of a fire in the upper apartment of The Cove at 1235 Indiana Ave and were able to determine that the large volume of smoke was coming from a fire inside the clothes dryer.  The fire was quickly extinguished before it could spread but there was smoke damage throughout the apartment.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - A clothes dryer caught fire Thursday morning, causing an estimated $30,000 in damage to a home on the 2000 block of Bank Street.  Bakersfield firefighters had the fire controled within five minutes and kept it contained to the laundry area.  The department said accumulated lint behind the dryer ignited.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Two cats were killed this afternoon after a fire broke out at a Volusia County home.  Firefighters from multiple agencies were dispatched after a dryer caught fire and engulfed a garage in flames, said Volusia County Fire Services spokeswoman Pat Kuehn.  The blaze produced large amounts of smoke that filtered into the residence near the garage.  Kuehn said five cats were pulled from the home, but two of them were already dead.  As firefighters tried to extinguish the blaze, several propane tanks exploded inside the garage, Kuehn said.  The garage was destroyed and the home was deemed uninhabitable.

BARROW, GA - A build up of lint in a dryer exhaust tube allowed a fire to spread to the crawl space of a local home.  "First arriving firefighters found smoke coming from the crawl space and front door," Lt. Scott Dakin, public information officer, said in a news release.  "Crews found the fire had started in the dryer and had spread to the crawl space of the home via the build up of lint in the dryer exhaust tube."  The home suffered smoke damage from the fire.

GAITHERSBURG, MD - A fire started in the clothes dryer of a Horizon Run apartment Friday afternoon, drawing some 40 firefighters to the Montgomery Village community and likely displacing a family of five.  Montgomery County Fire and Rescue received the call shortly after 2 p.m. of a fire.  A dozen units—including five fire engines—responded to the call and tamed the blaze "within about five minutes or so," said Asst. Chief Rocky "Mike" Nelson.

LAFAYETTE, LA - At 10:28 p.m., Lafayette Fire Department responded to a reported house fire.  When firefighters arrived, heavy smoke was coming from the residence.  Firefighters entered the dwelling and quickly extinguished the fire.  However, the dwelling sustained heavy fire damage.  The fire and smoke damaged all belongings, including school uniforms and supplies.  Fire investigators determined that the fire originated in the laundry room.  The fire was caused by the dryer.  The dryer was not operating efficiently due to building-up of lint and other combustible items.

BOWLING GREEN, KY - Keith Potts of the Smiths Grove Volunteer Fire Department sprays down the interior of Charles and Vanna Martin's home Monday on Mount Olivet Road in Warren County.  Vanna, her two kids, two friends and her nephew were home at the time of the fire.  "I went to open the dryer and smoke was rolling out," Vanna said. "Smoke was coming from the kids' room, and I went out back where flames were rolling up the house and smoke coming from the ground."  "It just blazed in a hurry," Jessie Hines said of the home.  The Martins lost nearly everything they owned in the dryer fire.

YAKIMA, WA - A dryer fire caused an estimated $10,000 damage to a home early this morning, the Yakima Fire Department said.  Occupants of the home escaped without injury.  A fire department news release said firefighters responded to the fire shortly after midnight to find fire in the dryer that had spread to cabinets above the appliance.  The home also sustained smoke damage throughout.

PORTAGEVILLE, MO - Fire investigators have ruled that a weekend fire that killed 2 people started in the laundry room.  According to the Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department, investigators with the fire department believe the fire started in the clothes dryer.  When firefighters knocked down the fire, they found 2 people in a bedroom on the west side of the home.  The Pemiscot County Coroner Jim Brimhall says 82-year-old David Wayne Myracle and 83-year-old Clara Myracle both died of smoke inhalation.

TRENTON, NJ - A city woman suffered minor smoke inhalation while saving her dog from the smoky North Trenton blaze which began in her dryer yesterday afternoon, fire officials said.  The home in a two-family dwelling has a washer and dryer in an enclosed space on the back porch, and yesterday the dryer and vent were clogged with lint, Battalion Chief Steve Coltre said.&nbs "The lint is very combustible and it caused the whole porch to catch on fire," he said.  The entire back of the shed enclosure was engulfed with flames, and fire spread to the adjacent home.  The home had extensive smoke damage.

WINCHESTER, VA - A fire in a city home early this morning killed five pets and displaced the resident, officials said.  Firefighters entered the house to fight the blaze and encountered heavy smoke and heat coming from the area of the laundry room and kitchen, according to Chief Scott Cullers, of the Winchester Fire and Rescue Department.  Crews found four dogs and a cat inside the home and made efforts to resuscitate the animals but were "beyond being saved," Cullers said.  A city building inspector deemed the house uninhabitable until repaired, according to Cullers. Fire, smoke and water caused an estimated $50,000 in damage to the home, he said.  Officials believe the fire originated in a dryer.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - A Tuesday evening fire that damaged a Lawrenceville home originated in a clothes dryer, officials said.  Gwinnett County firefighters responded to the home on Paden Drive at about 7:10 p.m., finding the fire burning inside the clothes dryer and laundry room of the small, woodframe house, spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge said.  The blaze was brought under control in about 10 minutes. "Firefighters worked fast and were able to quickly contain the fire to the laundry room when they arrived," Rutledge said.  The fire caused damage to the laundry room and sent smoke throughout the house.

SPOKANE, WA - A basement dryer is to blame for a fire Saturday that heavily damaged a North Spokane home.  The first crew on scene spotted smoke coming from the eves of the one-story home.  About 24 firefighters attacked the fire from the inside and roof because the basement fire had spread to the main floor and up into the attic.  Crews had to cut a hole in the roof to get to the flames.  Damage is estimated at $10,000.

NORWICH, CT - A smoky fire caused by a clogged dryer vent called all four of the town's fire departments to a home in Central Village on Saturday morning.  Fire Marshal Paul Yellen said homeowners told him they were alerted by a smoke detector sounding at about 8:15 a.m.  Central Village firefighters, along with firefighters from Moosup, Plainfield and a firefighter safety team from the Atwood Hose Company of Wauregan, had the incident resolved in about 45 minutes.  Yellen said the fire caused smoke damage to parts of the home.

TUCSON, AZ - A fire at a townhome killed a pet Chihuahua and caused $100,000 in damage.  Firefighters from Northwest Fire went to the 500 block of W. Calle Lago after reports of smoke in the area.  They saw smoke coming from the townhome and later found flames.  They quickly put the fire out.  A Chihuahua did not survive the flames.  The cause of the fire was the dryer in the home.  Damage is estimated to be at $100,000.

NEW IPSWICH, NH - A house fire on Ashburnham Road on Tuesday has left a family of eight homeless.  Firefighters received a report of smoke coming from the basement of the house around 11:30 a.m. When Fire Chief David Leel arrived on scene he said he was happy to find the family had safety evacuated.  "It was a big relief," he said.  Smoke was coming out of all the windows so he raised the fire call from a one-alarm fire to a two-alarm fire.  The family believes the fire was started by lint in a running dryer.

GRANT LEBANON, OR - A first-alarm fire shortly before 6 p.m. Monday destroyed a home, displacing a family of seven.  Fire Marshal Mark Wilson said the fire started in backed-up lint in the dryer vent under the house.  Four people who were in the house discovered the blaze and called 911 after getting out.  Wilson estimated the loss at $80,000 to the house and contents. The kitchen and roof were destroyed.  Wilson said dryer vent pipes should be unhooked periodically and cleaned out.

SHEBOYGAN, WI - A small dryer fire did nearly $2,000 damage to a Sheboygan home Friday night.  Shift Cmomander Keith Risse says the Sheboygan Fire Department received a 911 call around 6:20 of fire in the basement of a home on North 13th Street.  The Fire Department responded and found the dryer on fire in the basement of the home.  The fire department was able to put out the blaze before they spread to the home.  The damage was limited to the dryer and contents, but smoke from the fire damaged the 3 levels of the home.

BARSTOW, CA - A home in a complex outside Barstow on Irwin Road was destroyed in a fire Monday night.  According to the homeowner, Wayne Parker, the fire began around 7:30 p.m. Monday.  Parker said he believed the fire was caused by a dryer.  Parker said several agencies assisted in fighting the fire, but the home was completely engulfed in flames.  Parker said the fire flared up again Tuesday morning around 5 a.m. before it was completely extinguished.

SEAFORD, DE - An early morning fire in Seaford was accidental. State Fire Marshal investigators say the fire began in the laundry room because of a build up of lint in the dryer.  The fire broke out around 2am and residents were able to escape safely – the Red Cross is assisting the residents.  Damage is estimated at $2,500.

NEWARK, NJ - When Damian Blackburn saw smoke coming from his Decrow Avenue home, he rushed to embrace his fiancee and young daughter.  His fiancee Shawna Thomas and daughter Xayda were sleeping when a fire started in their dryer in the basement.  Clothes caught fire in the dryer, causing smoke to fill the house, Newark Fire Inspector Tim Smith said.  A Newark Water Office employee spotted smoke coming from the building, woke Thomas and called Newark firefighters.  "He's definitely the hero for the day," Newark Assistant Fire Chief David Decker said.

NORTHAMPTON, PA - The one alarm fire that began behind a clothes dryer left a second floor apartment with heavy damage Monday afternoon, officials confirm.  Heavy smoke along with flames were reported in the blaze that occured in the 10 block of Primrose Drive, said Battalion Chief Thomas Richmond of the Northampton Township Volunteer Fire Department.  Richmond said the flames extended from the dryer and into the walls of the building causing damage to the first floor garage and a third floor loft.

MOBILE, AL - A man in Mobile lost his house and all its belongings Saturday night in a fire.  Mobile Fire Rescue responded to a home on Fairview Court near Old Shell road around 7:15 p.m. Saturday night.  The homeowner's sister tells News 5 that he was at work when the blaze started, but his mom had dropped by to do laundry when the dryer caught fire.  The only item salvagable was a motorcycle, but as you can imagine, the family is just glad everyone is safe.

VAUGHNSVILLE, OH - Authorities believe a laundry dryer is to blame for a house fire Thursday night in which an elderly man was killed. Ohio state fire marshal investigators said two women and a child escaped uninjured, however, Stanley L. Rayman, 80, was unsuccessful, and was pronounced dead at St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima, Ohio.  The sheriff's office responded to a 10:25 p.m. fire call and discovered a house fully engulfed, deputies said.

TAUNTON, MA - Members of the fire and police departments responded Thursday morning to a report of a dryer fire.  Officials at the scene said the homeowners called police when they noticed smoke coming out of their dryer.  Officials said the situation was likely caused by a build-up of lint in the machine.  No injuries were reported and minimal damage resulted from the smoke.

WILKESBORO, NC - A one-story home in the Ridgecrest subdivision was gutted by fire this morning.  Shandra Haynes said in an interview that she found the basement of the three-bedroom home filled with smoke today when she tried to check on clothes in a dryer in the basement laundry room.  Wilkes Fire Investigator Niki Hamby of the Wilkes Sheriff's Department said everything indicated that the fire started in the dryer.  Millers Creek Fire Department firefighters found heavy smoke pouring out of basement and ground floor windows and flames in the laundry room when they arrived, said Millers Creek Division Chief Robbie Bolin.  The fire burned upwards along walls in the eastern end of the house, which included the laundry room, but was under control after about an hour of firefighting, he said.

MASHPEE, MA - A fire that spread from a dryer at a New Seabury home drew mutual aid from fire departments across the Upper Cape, fire department official said.  At 11:38 a.m., a fire alarm notified the fire department that there was a problem, Mashpee fire Lt. Richard Thayer said.  When a dispatcher spoke to the homeowner's son, he reported smoke coming from the dryer.  A few minutes later, the man called 911 to report there were also flames, Thayer said.  The homeowner's son was not injured, but the home sustained smoke and heat damage, Thayer said.

NEW CASTLE, DE - The Delaware State Fire Marshal Deputies have determined an early morning house fire in Castle Hills, New Castle, Del. was caused by a clothes dryer.  The Goodwill Fire Company of New Castle responded to the unit for fire at the one-story, single family home.  The occupant reported the fire was in the laundry room.  Several neighboring fire companies responded and assisted at the fire scene.  Damage was estimated at $5,000.

HANOVER, ON CANADA - The Hanover Fire Department were on scene at a fire in downtown Hanover after JohnnyKSports was ablaze. Two apartments located at the store, and the back apartment was the one that caught fire.  Ken Roseborough, fire chief of the Hanover Fire Department said the fire is believed to have started in the laundry room, behind the dryer. He said the dryer overheated, caught fire, and then spread.  “It spread beyond the laundry room, basically gutting the laundry room and then causing smoke damage to the rest of the apartment, and then water damage to Johnny K Sports below,” says Roseborough.  Roseborough estimated there is approximately $50,000 in damage to the building.

RICHMOND, VA - Two people were injured jumping from the window of a burning home in Highland Park in Richmond, Virginia.  Richmond firefighters say the fire was caused by the clothes dryer.  When fire crews arrived they found smoking coming out of a second story window of the home.  Firefighters say four people, two adults and two children, jumped from the home's second story windows for safety.

GRAND LAKE, CO - Grand Lake Fire responded to a call for a report of a dryer on fire, according to Grand Lake Fire Chief Michael Long. When crews arrived, the fire had spread from the office where the dryer was located into the building's three northern residential units. Firefighters evacuated four long-term tenants who were running back into the building in moderate to heavy smoke to pull out their belongings, Long said.  At the same time, fire crews cut vent holes in the roof to prevent the fire from spreading through the common attic to the other end of building.

COLUMBIA, MO - A dryer fire on Citadel Drive caused light smoke damage to a residence in north Columbia on Sunday evening.  The fire was caused by lint buildup and was contained to the dryer and its vent pipe, Columbia Fire Department Battalion Chief Steven Sapp said. One of the adults at the scene tried to put the fire out using an extinguisher but was unable to reach the flames in the vent pipe, Sapp said.

HYANNIS, MA - Smoke detectors sounding at a Lewis Street duplex alerted tenants to a dryer fire that caused $3,000 damage Saturday morning, a fire department official said.  No one was injured in the incident, Hyannis fire Lt. Thomas Kenney said.  When firefighters arrived, all the tenants were outside the building.  Firefighters fought through the smoke and found the fire in the cellar, Kenney said.  Firefighters put the blaze out, and the building was ventilated so the tenants could return to their home, Kenney said.

TAKOMA PARK, MD - Firefighters from Montgomery and Prince George's counties responded to a fire in the basement of a single-family home in the 7400 block of Holly Avenue.  “A dryer vent caught on fire,” said Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Duty Chief Steve Jones, adding that the vent was clogged and as a result, the dryer overheated and caught fire.  Jones urged residents to check their dryer vents and to keep them clean and free of lint.

OTTAWA, ON CANADA - A fire at a Carlington home Tuesday afternoon caused about $40,000 in damage, the Ottawa fire department said. After seeing smoke coming from the basement, a resident at 1415 Rosenthal Ave., near Merivale Road and Kirkwood Avenue, called 911. The fire, which began in a clothes dryer in the basement, was extinguished quickly.  No one was injured in the fire, but the three residents of the home were forced out.

UPPER COOMERA, AUSTRALIA - AN Upper Coomera family have their neighbours to thank for saving their house from fire overnight.  Just after 8pm a fire started from the dryer in the laundry and smoke quickly spread through the Moorhen Street home.  The home was empty at the time, but a neighbour heard the smoke alarm and saw the smoke and called Triple 0.  Firefighters were able to contain the fire before it spread but the home was severely damaged by smoke.

CLIFTON PARK, NY - A clothes dryer caused a fire that destroyed a home on Route 146 and shut down traffic on the road for hours.  A ranch-style home went up in flames starting, John VanChance Jr., chief of the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Fire Department said.  The fire started in the vent system of an overheated dryer and spread quickly, VanChance said. “The house is pretty well gutted,” VanChance said.

AMHERST, NY - A fire in a dryer caused an estimated $15,000 damage to the Clairbridge nursing facility.  Volunteer firefighters from Main-Transit Fire Department found a dryer on fire in a laundry room and heavy smoke filling the facility.  A single fire sprinkler head was operating, and it contained the fire to the laundry room.  Firefighters extinguished the remaining fire and used fans to clear heavy smoke.

NELSON, TREHARRIS, UK - A SEVEN-year-old girl has been hailed 'a hero' for saving her family when a blaze broke out at her home.  The fire started in a tumble drier and thick black smoke spread through the ground floor of the semi-detached house in Charles Street, Nelson. Clothes and other belonging were completely wrecked in the blaze, which has left the property black inside.  Firefighters have hailed the quick-thinking youngster for having the initiative to alert her family to the danger.  Nelson crew manager Robin Barker said the tumble dryer caught fire shortly after everybody was in bed.  Crew manager Barker said dust may have caught fire, setting the tumble dryer alight.

MERCER ISLAND, WA - Mercer Island Fire Department and assisting agencies extinguished a small apartment fire at the Landmark Villa condominiums at 3030 80th Ave. SE.  The fire originated in a clothes dryer and began to spread into the residence on the second floor of the four-story multi-family condo complex.  An investigation into the cause of the fire was a build-up of lint in the clothes dryer. Damage estimates to the building and contents are estimated at $4000.

GAINESVILLE, GA - Dryer to blame in blaze that caused $40,000 in damage.  A dryer fire caused an early Monday blaze that displaced seven people from a Gainesville home.  Fire struck the 1,400-square-foot home in the 700 block of Johnson Street, said Gainesville Fire Department Deputy Chief Jerome Yarbrough.  By the time firefighters arrived, flames were burning up the back of the house and “there was heavy smoke.”  “The fire inside the dryer had spread up the walls and into the attic,” Yarbrough said.

KELSO, WA - A clogged dryer vent caused a house fire that spread to an attic in Kelso on Tuesday night, according to Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue.  A story in Wednesday's paper erroneously said the dryer vent went up into the attic.  Although the fire extended to the attic, the vent was properly installed, said Brad Yoder of Cowlitz 2.  He said improper dryer maintenance is one of the most common causes of structure fires.  “We recommend you clean those out monthly,” he said. “It's not just the lint trap. Vacuum out the hose that ventilates out.”

MANITOWOC , WI - A clothes dryer caught fire late Sunday evening in a second-story apartment at Custer Village on Manitowoc's southwest side, said Battalion Chief Karl Koch of the Manitowoc Fire Department.  According to the release: Smoke was seen coming from the west and south sides of unit 201 at 5110 Expo Drive when firefighters arrived on the scene at about 11:30 p.m.  Fire crews quickly extinguished the fire, which damaged the dryer and the area adjacent to it, and caused heavy smoke damage throughout the apartment.

YAKIMA, WA - A dryer lint fire in an assisted care home chased about 16 residents and staff to a neighboring facility Friday night.  About 9:10 p.m., an alert employee noticed smoke coming from near the dryer and tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher.  Firefighters found a smoldering cloth inside the dryer, which they hauled outside of the home, the release said.  They also found a smoldering pile of lint built up in a crawlspace below the dryer, officials said.  Estimated loss is $12,500.

VANCOUVER, BC CANADA - An overheated clothes dryer sparked a three-alarm blaze in a downtown apartment building late Thursday, the second such fire this week in the city.  Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services were called to the fire in the Standard Building in the 500-block West Hastings.  Firefighters arrived to find heavy black smoke coming from the building and were able to put out the blaze with the aid of the building's automatic sprinkler system.  No one was hurt, but the fire caused extensive smoke, fire and water damage.  Fire investigators have pinpointed a lint-filled dryer as the cause.

NORTH RUSTICO, PE CANADA - A fire that forced a family from their home in North Rustico Tuesday evening was caused by the buildup of lint inside ductwork in the dryer.  "The lint that gets caught up and clinging to the duct work eventually falls back down into the dryer and this is what caught on fire here," said provincial fire marshal Dave Blacquiere.  "The homeowners became aware of the situation because of a smoke alarm operating, went down to take a look [and] attempted to take care of business.  It was moving rather rapidly."  There was smoke and water damage throughout the house.  Blacquiere said the incident should serve as a reminder to homeowners that they should take the time to clean inside the dryer ductwork.

LAWRENCE, NY - A dryer fire caused two rooms of a Peninsula Boulevard home to be destroyed, but no injuries were reported, according to the chief of the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department.  LCFD received a report of the Cedarhurst fire, which spread to the second floor of the home, at about 1:11 p.m., Chief Anthony Rivelli said.  Thirty LCFD members had the fire under control at 1:41 p.m. with the assistance of 15 Inwood firefighters and six Woodmere firefighters.

CHESTERFIELD, VA - A family loses their home in an overnight house fire in Chesterfield.  We just found out moments ago, it was the dryer that caused the fire.  The fire is being ruled an accident.  The resident woke up and noticed fire in the laundry room of the house and made several attempts to extinguish the fire but was unsuccessful, according to Chesterfield fire officials.  The fire quickly spread to other areas of the residence and caused significant damage to the home.  Chesterfield County fire marshals have determined the dryer was the cause of the fire.

NAPLES, FL - A dryer fire Wednesday night spread and damaged a North Naples condominium.  According to Collie County Sheriff's officials, dispatch got a call at 9:05 p.m. about the fire in the 1400 block of Pompeii Lane.  Officials with the North Naples Fire Control and Rescue District, which responded to the scene, said a lint fire spread from the dryer to the washing machine in a second floor condo.  No one was injured, but there was extensive smoke damage to the unit's kitchen and laundry room.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - A fire destroyed an 80-year-old Daytona Beach home early Tuesday morning and killed two puppies that were inside.  Firefighters said they were called to the home on Seagrave Street just before 1:30am on Tuesday.  They said when they arrived, there was heavy smoke pouring out the back of the two story house.  The State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating and told WFTV that the fire started due to a dryer in the back of the house that was not properly ventilated.

THROOP, PA - The cause of a fire that displaced nine people Thursday night has been ruled an accident.  A dryer started the fire, Throop Fire Chief Eric Hartshorn said.  Firefighters were called about 8:40 p.m., and it took 20 minutes to control the fire.  No one was hurt in the apartment building, but two families were forced to evacuate.  The third floor was extensively damaged, but the lower floors were mostly spared, except for some smoke and water damage, Chief Hartshorn said.

KIRKSVILLE, MO - The Kirksville Fire Department responded Wednesday to a report of heavy smoke coming from a residence.  According to the department, smoke was showing from the building and the residence itself was found full of smoke when they arrived.  A fire was extinguished in a utility closet near the kitchen.  The cause was later determined to be dryer vent lint.

SANTA CLARITA, CA - On Thursday morning, Santa Clarita Deputies responded to a call of a house fire.  The owner of the residence had just returned home from dropping her children off at school to find her clothes dryer on fire in an upstairs room.  Deputies Eagar and Reantaso responded to the scene.  Both took fire extinguishers from their vehicles and made their way upstairs to find the second floor covered in thick smoke.  Crawling on their hands and knees, they located the dryer and were able to put enough chemical extinguisher on it and the surrounding area to contain the fire until Fire Department personnel arrived to fully extinguish the flames.  Captain Goulet from L.A. Co. Engine Co. #124 commended the deputies for their quick response and credited them with saving the house which he said most likely would have been fully engulfed if not for their actions.

WEST WARWICK, RI - One person is taken to the hospital, as West Warwick fire crews battle a fire in an apartment complex.  The fire broke out shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday.  Once on scene crews worked to put out a fire that started in a third floor dryer vent.  One resident was taken to an area hospital with smoke inhalation.

KIRKSVILLE, MO - Fire broke out a Kirksville apartment building Wednesday afternoon.  At 2:20 p.m. the Kirksville Fire Department was called to a four-plex apartment on fire at 1101 West Hamilton Street.  Battalion Chief David Rigdon says the fire was started by restricted air flow to a dryer.  The dryer got too hot, which set the lint ablaze.  Damage to the structure is estimated at $20,000 and about $7,000 worth of contents were lost in the blaze.  Another unit in the four-plex suffered light smoke damage.

GASTON, NC - A double-wide mobile home fire that began in a clothes dryer Monday afternoon left a Kings Mountain family of five homeless and destitute.  The home caught fire again early Wednesday and finished burning.  The family has lost all material possessions and have nothing but their Dodge pickup truck and the clothes on their backs, Page said.

CHARLOTTE, NC - A fire on Triece Lane in east Charlotte forced four people out of a home this weekend.  Firefighters were called to the home Saturday morning.  Investigators say the fire started because too much lint built up in the clothes dryer.  The fire caused about $10,000 in damage.

COXSACKIE, NY - An early morning fire Friday destroyed a home at Sleepy Hollow Lake in Coxsackie, according to a fire official and witness at the scene.  The call came in as a dryer fire and quickly spread to the rest of the home, according to Coxsackie Hose Co. No. 3 First Assistant Chief Shawn Burdick.  Two adults were in the house at the time, he said.

PONTIAC, MI - A resident of an apartment in Pontiac was displaced following a dryer fire at her home.  Firefighters responded to the scene after the resident reported that her apartment began filling with smoke.  After evacuating the building, crews found the fire in the basement near the dryer and extinguished the flames.

CINCINNATI, OH - A fire at a Colerain Township home caused up to $50,000 in damage, firefighters said.  Crews said the fire appears to have started in a clothes dryer in the home's utility room.  The people who live at the house left the dryer running while they went out to run errands.  Firefighters said the fire caused a water pipe to break, which helped them get the fire under control in a matter of minutes.  Most of the damage was confined to the utility room, investigators said.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - A dryer caught fire Wednesday evening at a Charlottesville apartment complex.  A dryer at a Garrett Street apartment went up in flames around 6:15.  Crews arrived on the scene quickly and had the fire under control within five minutes.  The fire extended beyond the dryer and sent smoke spewing into the first and second floor of the unit.  Firefighters ventilated the building once the flames were out.

OAKHURST, OK - A west Tulsa home was destroyed by a dryer fire early Wednesday.  Firefighters found the home engulfed in flames.  Instead of trying to save what was left, firefighters from Oakhurst, Berryhill and Sapulpa worked to keep the flames from spreading to structures on either side of the home.  Fire officials say the man who lives there is a truck driver who had left town on Tuesday and apparently left a dryer on.

LINCOLN, ME - Gusting winds pushed a dryer fire into the attic of an Enfield Road home owned by the parents of a town firefighter, doing heavy damage Tuesday before firefighters doused it, officials said.  No one was injured, but at least two people were left homeless, Fire Chief Phil Dawson said.  Firefighters suspect that a spark that was blown out the exhaust of the dryer ignited lint in the exhaust pipe which in turn set fire to the exterior of the house and raced into the attic through a ridge vent, Dawson said.

LINCOLN, NE - A late night fire had an entire apartment complex filled with smoke.  The fire happened just before 11pm.  Dean Stayberg with Lincoln Fire and Rescue says new smoke detectors alerted individuals upstairs of the fire. When firefighters arrived they found a clothes dryer on fire.  The dryer had to be dragged into the front lawn and once smoke cleared residents were able to return to their homes.

HARRISBURG, PA - Two firefighters were injured while fighting a house fire in York County.  The first fire occurred in a dryer on the second floor of the residence.  Crews got that fire under control fairly quickly.  However, the fire rekindled with two firefighters stuck inside after the roof collapsed on him.  Both fire fighters, Christopher Mowry and Colin Harner were taken to the hospital and are expected to be ok.  All of the people in the house escaped, however, a family cat was lost in the fire.

WATERLOO, IA - Waterloo firefighters were called to a house fire around 11:00 last night.  The house sits at Gable Street.  Firefighters say a dryer caught on fire and then the flames spread to the basement.  One person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

ST. BONIFACE, MB Canada - A clothes dryer caused a fire early this morning in St. Boniface.  Firefighters were called to the home at Tremblay St.  There were no injuries in the fire, but it caused about $30,000 in damage.  Firefighters believe a dryer in the basement was responsible for the blaze.

CREST FOREST, CA - A fire investigators say apparently started in a dryer roared through a Crestline home on Tuesday night, killing two dogs and leaving a construction worker homeless.  Fire was touching nearby trees and power lines were arcing next to the house as fire units reached the scene, said Division Chief Jon Garber.  A San Bernardino County Fire Department investigator combed through the ruins of the approximately 1,000-square-foot home and determined the fire had begun at the dryer.  The dryer was apparently turned on by an occupant who then left the residence, Garber added.

HAYWARD, WI - Fire displaced several families early Wednesday morning.  The fire in a four-plex apartment building was reported around 2:30 a.m.  Firefighters were on the scene until late morning.  LCO Fire Chief Eric Crowe said the building is a total loss.  Crowe said a dryer vent started the fire. A few firefighters suffered minor frostbite.  The LCO Fire Department was assisted by fire departments from the Town of Hayward, City of Hayward, and Town of Bass Lake.

ERIE, PA - Erie fire officials are reminding people to keep their clothes dryers clear of lint after a Sunday fire displaced a family of four on the city's west side.  The fire at 614 Plum St. was set off when heat from the dryer ignited lint, Erie Chief Fire Inspector Guy Santone said Monday.  The fire extended up the rear of the house and got into the attic, Santone said.  One firefighter was treated at the hospital after suffering an injury in fighting the fire, Erie Fire Chief Tony Pol said.

ROCHESTER, NY - An accidental dryer fire damaged a city residence this morning.  Battalion Chief Glenn Sheremeta of the Rochester Fire Department said firefighters were called about 11:40 a.m.  A woman this morning placed some clothing in the dryer and left the residence, he said.  When she returned, the woman smelled smoke inside the house.  She went to the dryer and found it on fire.  The house sustained smoke and water damage, he said.  Sheremeta said the dryer was not properly vented.

CANTON, OH - Firefighters were called when a dryer caught fire in the 1400 block of 25th Street NW.  The fire was contained to the dryer. Smoke damage to the dryer, contents and the home was estimated at $10,000.  The occupants said they would stay with family until the home was cleaned.

BROMYARD, UK - A FAMILY home near Bromyard was seriously damaged by fire.  Fire crews from two counties were called to Gaines Lane in Whitbourne after part of a converted barn caught alight.  A teenager raised the alarm around 9.50pm after a tumble dryer caught fire. Further crews from Malvern and Worcester were called and used breathing apparatus and hose reels to control the fire.  The blaze was extinguished around 1.45am and caused serious smoke and heat damage to both rooms.  Steve Jordan, station commander, said the fire could have been more serious without an early warning from a smoke alarm.

LISLE, IL - A mother and her infant escaped without injury before a fire left their home uninhabitable.  Just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, a 911 caller reported a smoking dryer in a two-story home, according to a release from the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District.  Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and the alarm was upgraded, the release said. After confirming that the residents, a mother and her 1-week-old baby, were safely out of the home, they began battling the blaze.

SIOUX FALL, SD - Tense moments in the overnight hours for residents of a west Lubbock apartment complex, with fire crews responding to a blaze in one of the units.  Crews say this blaze sparked with a dryer.  They were able to quickly extinguish the flames.

SIOUX FALL, SD - A fire Saturday night in north Sioux Falls damaged a duplex that had no working smoke detectors, though no one inside was injured.  'Sioux Falls Fire Rescue officials said they were called at 10:14 p.m. and found smoke coming from the upper floor. Firefighters found the fire in a clothes dryer and contained it to the laundry room, officials said. It took them 20 minutes to put out the fire.  The upper floor of the duplex sustained fire and smoke damage.

ANTIOCH, IL - Fire officials are warning homeowners to have their dryer vent piping checked after a fire destroyed a second-floor laundry room.  The fire was called in by the occupants.  The first fire crew on the scene reported light smoke coming from the second floor.  The fire gutted the large laundry room and burned through part of the door.  There was heavy smoke and heat damage throughout the second-floor bedrooms.  "It was overheated lint in the pipe.  We believe it sparked the fire," Fire Chief John Dixon said Friday. "A lot of people don't realize that you have to check the exhaust in the back, and not just the (lint collector) on top."  Damage was estimated at $60,000 and the family will be staying with neighbors.

TUSCON, AZ - A house fire in midtown this morning has displaced a family of six and caused about $50,000 worth of damage.  Tucson Fire official Trish Tracy says that TFD units were dispatched at 10:46 a.m. today.  The family escaped their house with their three dogs, one of which broke loose and bit the woman who had stopped to help, Tracy says.  Tracy says the cause appears to be an accidental dryer fire, possibly from lint accumulation.

RENO, NV - A fire at Holcomb Ave, was started by a clothes dryer, the Reno Fire Department reported.  The residence was occupied by a woman and her son at the time.  The fire caused extensive damage to the back of the residence and the attached shed with heat and smoke damage throughout the rest of the house.  "The fire was accidental but serves as a good reminder to residents to clean the lint from their dryer tray often and to keep the area in and around the vent pipe clear of any debris or materials," Reno Fire Department Investigator Jason O'Neal said in a statement from the city.

NORTH ATTLEBORO, MA - Firefighters quickly extinguished a dryer fire Tuesday night that spread into a wall on the second floor of a Broad Street home.  Crews from North Attleboro, backed up by firefighters from Plainville were called at 6:40 p.m. when the homeowner discovered flames coming from clothes dryer.  Firefighters pulled a hose into the house and knocked down the flames, then had to rip open an adjacent wall to make sure that flames didn't spread inside, officials said.  The house also sustained smoke damage.

SOUTHAMPTON, PA - A mobile home was destroyed after a fire erupted in a dryer.  The fire occurred at 3:10 p.m. in the Mobile Estates trailer park near Route 206.  The trailer's occupants were able to escape unharmed, said Marc Bicking, spokesperson for Vincent Fire Company No. 1.  A family cat is still unaccounted for, he said.  The fire is believed to have started in the dryer and then spread throughout.

SENOIA, GA - A house in the Blackjack community of southeast Coweta County escaped major damage Tuesday morning when fire erupted in the residents' dryer.  Responding units arrived quickly and found the fire confined to the dryer, according to Coweta County Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Alan Smith.  Fire damage was primarily contained to the dryer.  There was some heat damage to the washer and to items above the dryer, and there was minor smoke damage throughout the kitchen, which was located adjacent to the washroom, according to Smith.

FAIRPORT, NY - A mother and her five children were forced out of their home today when a dryer fire caused extensive damage to their apartment in Fairport.  Fairport police chief John Welker said the fire department received the call reporting a smoking dryer around 11:50 a.m.  When crews arrived they saw smoke coming from the second floor of the two-story building.  No one was injured in the blaze but the entire three-bedroom apartment suffered significant fire and smoke damage, Welker said.

Los Alamos, CA - Investigators say an exhaust port attached to a clothes dryer is responsible for starting this morning's raging fire in Los Alamos.  The fire left eleven people homeless.  Firefighters got the call just after 9:30 this morning.  They spent the next hour fighting intense flames.  Neighbor photos show the intensity of the fire that forced 11 people from their townhomes in Los Alamos.  "It went from smoke coming out the front door to windows popping and flames coming out," said Paul Cavanagh.

ELSMERE, DE - An Elsmere-area woman and her grandchildren were left homeless Saturday after lint inside duct work from a clothes dryer caught on fire, the state Fire Marshal's Office said.  The fire began shortly before 1 p.m.  Firefighters brought the fire under control within 30 minutes, and no injuries were reported.  State Fire Marshal's Office investigators found that the blaze began in the basement, where lint inside duct work from a clothes dryer ignited.

MARGATE, NJ - Margate firefighters responded to an early-morning fire Sunday after smoke was reported coming from a laundry room in a duplex.  Margate Deputy Chief Dan Adams said the fire was caused by excess lint in the unit's dryer.  "We were able to contain it to the laundry room," Adams said Sunday night, adding that it took the eight responding firefighters 10 minutes to contain and extinguish the fire. Adams said the unit sustained heavy smoke damage and the walls had to be opened up to ensure the fire had not spread up the walls.

PHOENIX, AZ - Children were evacuated from a Phoenix day care when a small fire started in the facility's laundry room Friday morning, Phoenix fire officials said.  More than 50 children ranging from newborns to 5 years old were safely evacuated at about 8:05 a.m. from the Tutor Time, said Capt. Tony Mure of the Phoenix Fire Department.  The fire began in the laundry room, apparently sparked by a faulty dryer vent, Mure said. The fire was contained to the laundry room.

EL MIRAGE, AZ - A dryer fire sent four teens to the hospital, authorities said.  The fire started in the lint trap of the dryer, which hadn't been cleaned, El Mirage Fire Chief Howard Munding said.  The teens may have sustained respiratory issues from inhaling smoke and debris as they attempted to put out the fire, Munding said.

STATEN ISLAND, NY - Fire Department officials are battling an all-hands blaze in Annadale.  The fire is being reported on the second floor of a three-story structure.  Several units are on the scene and heavy smoke is being reported, according to emergency radio transmissions. Reports indicate the blaze began when a dryer caught fire.

DONNA, TX - A family is left homeless after a fire ripped through their mobile home.  Investigators tell CHANNEL 5 NEWS the fire started at a home on Midway and Walker Road in Donna.  The flames sparked in the dryer and quickly spread.  Two rooms suffered significant fire damage while the rest of the home was damaged by smoke and water.  No one who lives in the home was hurt.

HALESOWEN, UK - A COUPLE were led to safety from their Halesowen home after a tumble dryer started a blaze.  The 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman were administered oxygen by fire crews at the property in Chapel Street.  The fire started on the ground floor of the two-storey terraced home.  West Midlands Fire Service group commander Mick Birch said crews from Halesowen and Cradley attended the incident and put out the fire. He said they dealt with the couple along with paramedics.

GARDEN CITY, NY - Garden City firefighters responded to a Poplar Street fire that originated in the home's laundry room.  The resident stated she had smoke coming her dryer and that all occupants were safely out of the house.  Firefighters were met with a heavy smoke condition on the first floor upon entry.  "It appeared that the fire started near the dryer vent hose and extended up the wall igniting clothing on top of the dryer and materials on a shelf above," he said.  "There was also fire extension into the basement as a result of burning materials dropping down through the floor which was extinguished."Fire damage was limited to the laundry room with smoke damage throughout the home.  The fire department reminds residents of the importance of "periodically cleaning all lint traps and dryer vent hoses."

PLAINFIELD, IL - A fire that started in a clothes dryer in a Plainfield apartment building caused no injuries, but temporarily displaced the woman who lived there.  The fire, reported around 10:45 a.m. Monday at a four-unit apartment building, likely started because of a lint build-up, Assistant Fire Chief Jon Stratton said.  The fire spread to the walls of the apartment, but did not damage any other units.

NANTUCKET, MA - A house fire damaged a Somerset Road home Monday morning, but was brought under control before it could destroy the mid-island residence.  Firefighters and police raced to Somerset Road Monday morning when the homeowner reported a smoking dryer at her home.  By the time fire crews arrived, flames had begun to consume portions of the residence and smoke billowed from its roof.

ROCHESTER, NY - Meridian Fire Department used a fire extinguisher to quickly put out a dryer fire on Waterbury Drive.  Firefighters were on scene within four minutes of the call.  They found a small amount of smoke in the home.  Crews opened up the wall to make sure the fire hadn't spread.  The home suffered minor damage, said Meridian Fire Department Deputy Chief Joe Silva.  Silva said the incident is a reminder to keep dryer filters clean and occasionally clean out the flexible tube that runs from the dryer to the wall.  Lint can ignite, he said.

ROCHESTER, NY - Wareham Fire Department personnel responded to a fire on Sunday at a single-story home on 14th Avenue.  The fire, which began around 3:30 p.m. and took about an hour to contain, started in a dryer and left around $3,000 in damaged.  No one was injured.

ROCHESTER, NY - Rochester fire crews say a family is alive Monday morning thanks to their smoke detectors and investigators say lint buildup sparked the flames.  Firefighters were called to a basement fire on Portage Street.  When they arrived, they say smoke was pouring out of a side door.  Investigators say the fire started in a clothes dryer in the basement, then spread to the wall and ceiling.  The Rochester Fire Department says this fire should send a number of messages to the public: Smoke detectors save lives and dryers need to be periodically cleaned and dust/lint build-up removed.

PRINCE EDAWARD ISLAND, CANADA - A man and a woman escaped injury after a house fire early Friday morning.  The Wellington Fire Department responded to the fire.  "There was heavy smoke coming out the main door and a few windows," said deputy fire chief Dennis Cormier.  "We just couldn't even enter the house.  There was too much heat. We vented through the roof and the house is a complete loss." The roof caved in and the house was gutted by the fire.  Deputy provincial fire marshal Dave Rossiter investigated the fire and ruled it was accidental.  Rossiter said it started in the clothes dryer.

GATES, NY - Two people were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation after a house fire.  Gates firefighters were called after two residents in the house noticed smoke inside, said Gates Fire Chief Jim Harrington.  It took firefighters about 15 minutes to control the dryer fire, he said.  Firefighters arrived to find smoke rising from the back of the house, Harrington said.  Smoke damage was present throughout the house, he said.

GOSHEN, IN - Town of Goshen Police Officer Michael Imperio and Sergeant Matthew Imperio suffered smoke inhalation after responding to a dryer fire.  When the officers reported to the residence, they found the laundry room filled with heavy smoke and flames.  Both officers managed to put the fire out with the police department’s fire extinguishers and an available water source.  Due to the intense volume of smoke, both officers suffered smoke inhalation.  Officer Michael Imperio suffered second-degree burns to his right hand when he moved the dryer away from the wall to get at the flames.  Goshen Fire Chief Elmer Budd told police Chief Dennis Marsh that, had it not been for the quick response and decisive actions of the Town of Goshen police officers, the residence might have sustained thousands of dollars in further damage or been totally lost.

NELSONVILLE, NY - A Nelsonville home was damaged early Sunday after a dryer fire.  The Nelsonville Fire Department responded to the fire.  Upon investigation, firefighters encountered heavy smoke and a fire in the laundry room area.  The fire had extended from the dryer to the contents of the room and was extending to the kitchen when firefighters extinguished it.  Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the laundry area but water, smoke, and heat damage also occurred in the kitchen.  Firefighters determined the fire stated in the dryer.  Damage to the home was estimated at $8,000.

WHITBY, ONTARIO CANADA - A Whitby woman was treated for smoke inhalation and taken to hospital after a dryer caught fire in a home on Lady May Drive Thursday.  Three fire trucks, 12 firefighters and one platoon chief arrived at the residence shortly after 1 p.m.  Smoke was visible from an outside vent and filled both levels of the home.  The woman was initially assessed on scene by emergency crews before being taken to hospital for further treatment and later released.

MALAGA, CA - A clothes dryer is to blame for a fire on Wednesday that left 9 people homeless.  The blaze started around 5:00 p.m. at a duplex on Chestnut near North Avenue.  Investigators say it started in a clothes dryer in one of the units.  Josh Chrisman with Fresno County Fire said, “The lint trap was clogged and the laundry room did not have good ventilation.”  Damage is estimated at about $65,000.

OXNARD, CA - A dryer fire that began Tuesday when excess lint ignited caused an estimated $1,500 damage at an Oxnard home, authorities said.  The fire was reported about 3:40 p.m.  A woman drying a load of laundry discovered the fire when she returned from doing errands and found her garage filled with smoke, said Battalion Chief Gary Sugich of the Oxnard Fire Department.  Firefighters responded and extinguished the fire.  Investigators determined an excessive amount of lint had built up in the dryer, caught fire and spread to the clothes inside, Sugich said.

FLORAL CITY, FL - Firefighters were alerted at 6:47 a.m. to Big Buck Trail, where a 1,2000-suqre-foot wood frame structure had fire showing on the rear side.  Fire officials believe the blaze was started by a dryer.  The home was not insured, and the homeowners were displaced.  The amount of damage to the home was set at $96,000 to the building and $5,000 to its contents.

LOWER FRANKFORD, PA - Authorities in central Pennsylvania say a clothes dryer was apparently the source of a fast-moving fire in a mobile home that left one person dead.  Part of the mobile home had already collapsed when fire crews arrived, and a body was found inside near the door.  Officials said the victim has not been positively identified.  A state police fire marshal said the blaze started in a clothes dryer and then spread to the rest of the home.

COLLINGDALE, PA - Firefighters were called out Wednesday night to battle a basement fire on Broad Street. &nbThe fire was reported at 9:45 p.m., according to Collingdale Fire Co. No. 1 Chief Colin McCann.  Firefighters found heavy smoke showing from the home when they arrived.  All occupants from both sides of the twin were able to get out of their homes without injury.  The fire appears to have started in a dryer in the basement, McCann said.  The basement received some fire damage and there was smoke damage throughout the house, according to McCann.  A firefighter and EMS worker suffered minor injuries after the slipped on the ice and fell, McCann said.

PENWORTHHAM, UK - A tumble dryer set on fire and smoke-logged a garage.  Firefighters were called to Whitebeam Close, in Penwortham after smoke was seen pouring from the garage.  The dryer was wrecked in the blaze with smoke damage to the garage and kitchen.

HINSDALE, IL - A dryer fire was quickly extinguished but left $10,000 to $15,000 worth of damage to a Hinsdale home Monday afternoon, Hinsdale fire officials said.  Hinsdale Fire Department received a call around noon about a fire in the of a home in the 500 block of E. Walnut Street.  “The fire was in the basement laundry room of the home, but we had quick entry since our station is about three blocks away,” said Steve Tullis, Hinsdale firefighter and paramedic. “There was heavy smoke and medium heat, but the fire was contained to the laundry room and put out in less than a minute upon arrival.”

BATON ROUGE, LA - A clothes dryer caused a fire in the washroom of a Charles Street home, according to a Baton Rouge Fire Department news release.  Six people were in the main home when the fire started, but no one was injured in the blaze, the release says.  The flames gutted the washroom and several other rooms in the two-story garage, and caused smoke and water damage to the main structure.

CORDELE, GA - A clothes dryer in an Emerald Apartment caused a fire about 1:30 p.m. today.  Cordele firefighters were continuing to get the home cleared of smoke when this reporter was on the scene.  Chief Augustus Telfair said it would be a little while before he and his men could assess the damage.  The dryer which was charred had been pulled out of the dwelling.