Dryer Fire Articles (2012)

HYANNIS, MA - A small fire at the Cape Crossroads Condominium complex Saturday was contained to a dryer, fire officials said.  The fire happened just before 9 p.m.  "It was a dryer fire and the sprinkler contained it," said Hyannis Deputy Fire Chief Dean Melanson.  Six residents, two adults and four children from the unit were displaced because of water and smoke damage.

SALINA, NY - Liverpool firefighters made quick work of a clothes-dryer fire that spread to the wall of a home.  The fire had begun in a clothes dryer.  Firefighters put out the dryer fire but noticed it had spread to the inside of the home's south wall, said Deputy Fire Chief Brian Okey.  Firefighters peeled back aluminum siding to get at the fire from the outside and doused the flames.

BELLINGHAM, WA - A Bellingham family is forced from their home, after an appliance fire last night.  Firefighters were called to an apartment in the 3400 block of Woburn Street.  Interim Fire Chief Roger Christensen says the apartment sustained "moderate damage" from a clothes dryer fire.  He says two family members suffered minor smoke inhalation and a firefighter received minor injuries when his protective face mask was accidentally dislodged.  Christensen says the family will stay with friends until the dwelling is repaired.

BROOMFIELD, CO - No one was hurt after a dryer fire at a house on Garnet Street in Broomfield Wednesday morning.  A resident who was home smelled smoke and called 911, said North Metro Fire Rescue District spokeswoman Stacey Mulligan.  The fire started in the dryer, Mulligan said.  Four North Metro engines, a truck and a medic initially responded to the call, but only two engines were needed to contain the fire, which Mulligan said firefighters knocked down quickly.  She credited the resident's quick call to 911 for keeping the fire from spreading or the damage from being worse.

HOPKINTON, MA - Hopkinton firefighters responded to a working house fire at noon Monday.  Ashland and Milford also assisted at the scene.  Hopkinton firefighters extinguished a dryer fire.  The homeowner called in the fire at 11:54 a.m. and firefighters responded and extinguished the fire in four minutes, according to Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Slaman.  The fire was contained to the laundry room, but the home suffered extensive smoke and water damage estimated to cost about $50,000.

FREEMONT, OH - No one was hurt Wednesday when a dryer caught on fire in the basement of a Lincoln Street home.  The fire caused an estimated $5,000 in damage, according to a Fremont Fire Department report.  The resident told firefighters she heard the smoke detector sound and found smoke coming from the basement when she opened the door.  She and the rest of the home's occupants went outside.  Firefighters hosed down the dryer, according to the report.  The fire started in the vent area of the dryer, according to the report.

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON CANADA - Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services responded to a dryer fire at a residence in the 100 block of Willowdale Avenue.  The resident reported he could smell something burning and on checking his basement found smoke coming from the dryer.  Upon arrival, firefighters extinguished the fire that was developing inside the dryer.  "There were restrictions in the venting and consequently this dryer and the exhaust piping had built up with excessive lint.  It was only a matter of time for this fire to occur.  Everyone should ensure their dryers and vents are maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions," advises Fire Prevention Officer Rocco Celetti.

SAN ANTONIO, TX - A dryer is being blamed for a fire at a Northeast Side apartment complex.  Investigators say the dryer was left on in a unit at the Newport Apartments on Perrin Central.  Firefighters got the call around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. They said sprinklers contained the fire.  About $10,000 worth of damage was done to the 2nd floor unit where the fire started and the 1st floor unit directly underneath it.  The damage was primarily water damage caused by the sprinkler system.

FAIRFAX, VA - The Fairfax County Fire Department says a business in the area caught on fire after a dryer was left running while the store was closed.  At approximately 8 p.m. firefighters responded to the fire at Howard Avenue.  When they arrived at the business, smoke was showing from the rear of the three-story building.  Damage is estimated at $75,000.

GORE, NEW ZEALAND - The entire Gore Volunteer Fire Brigade attended a house fire in Gore on Sunday night, when a clothes dryer laden with lint overheated.  Chief fire officer Steve Lee said the laundry of the house in Hamilton Pl was well alight when two appliances arrived about 9.30 pm.  All 25 members of the Gore Volunteer Fire Brigade attended and had the fire under control within 10 minutes, he said.  Fire risk management officer Paul Glanville, of Invercargill, said he investigated the laundry yesterday.  The fire started because lint had not been cleaned from the clothes dryer and caused the appliance to overheat, which caused the wall behind the vent of the dryer to catch fire.

DANVILLE, VA - Fire damaged a home Monday afternoon on Kemper Road.  The blaze, reported at 1:21 p.m., was caused by accumulated lint catching fire in the heating element of a dryer, said Danville Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank Ferguson.  The fire damaged the bathroom and caused smoke damage to the rest of the home, Ferguson said.  Firefighters contained the blaze in about five minutes, Ferguson said.

WALTHAM, MA - A fire damaged an apartment on Mt. Pleasant Street in Waltham on Monday night after a dryer vent caught fire.  According to Waltham Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael Quinn, a dryer on the first floor caught fire and spread through the wall up to the second story.  Two engines, one ladder truck and a heavy rescue truck responded.  Quinn said the apartment suffered mostly water and smoke damage.

PALO ALTA, CA - A dryer caught fire at a Palo Alto residence on Tuesday afternoon, filling the home with smoke, firefighters said.  The fire was reported at about 1:57 p.m.  The resident had come back from shopping and found that smoke was covering her floor, according to a fire department statement.  Damage from the fire was contained to the dryer and the room it was in, but the house had considerable damage from the smoke, according to a fire department statement.  The fire department advises that residents have their dryers and air ducting cleaned annually.

READING, MA - The Reading Fire Department responded to a fire on Village Street Tuesday night.  The fire started in the dryer, which was located in the basement.  When firefighters first arrived, there was a heavy amount of smoke coming from the house.  It took them about 30 minutes to put the fire out.  The dryer, the area surrounding it and the windows in the basement were damaged.  The fire department estimated about $10,000 worth of damage.

BRISTOL, UK - A dryer caught fire and caused a blaze which badly damaged a house near Sisto Common.  Firefighters were called in after a woman at the house in Siston Park smelled smoke and dialled 999 shortly after 2.30pm on Monday.  The flames had spread to the kitchen of the semi-detached house which, along with the utility room, was extensively damaged by the blaze.  The rest of the house was damaged by smoke.  Avon Fire and rescue Service said the cause of the blaze had been traced to the tumble dryer.

PARIS, KY - A family has to find another place to stay after a fire damaged their home.  The fire broke out Tuesday night inside a duplex on Sharon Lane in Paris.  Firefighters think a dryer sparked the fire.  The flames then quickly spread.  However, they were able to keep the fire from spreading to the adjacent home.  The unit where the fire broke out is considered a total loss.

DES MOINES, IA - It's the last thing Damon Groth expected when he returned home from work Saturday night.  "Everything was gone," Groth said.  The home he lived in with his girlfriend and her twelve year old son was filled with smoke.  Groth says he tried to rescue his two cats while neighbors ran to the fire station that was so close, it was faster to pound on the doors and the windows than to call 9-1-1.  The flames spread more quickly than crews could get into position.  Investigators say the fire started in the dryer and claimed just about everything; including the family pets. 

TAMPA, FL - A woman and her two adult children were without a place to stay after a fire late Friday in their home, Tampa Fire Rescue said.  Crews responded at 10:26 p.m. to a report of a structure fire at Highland Oak Drive.  Everyone inside got out safely and no injuries were reported, officials said.  The fire apparently started behind a dryer.  The occupant said she was watching TV when her smoke alarm began sounding so she investigated it and found flames coming from behind the appliance.  Damage is estimated at about $30,000.

SHEBOYGAN, WI - Sheboygan firefighters were called to an apartment building on Weeden Creek Road to a report of a fire that started in a clothes dryer.  According to a press release from Assistant Fire Chief Vernon Koch, firefighters were dispatched at about 9:16 a.m. to Weeden Creek Road where a fire had started in a clothes dryer.  Firefighters set up ventilation to remove smoke from the apartment.  Damage was limited to the clothing near the dryer.  There were no injuries and the incident was completed in 20 minutes.

DULUTH, MN - More than a half-dozen fire departments responded to a house fire Monday afternoon on Martin Road in Rice Lake Township.  The fire started from a dryer that was left running when the homeowner left the residence about 11:45 a.m., according to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.  The fire spread through the dryer vent into a wall and up into the attic.  Moderate smoke could be seen coming from attic vents as fire crews aimed a hose inside.  Part of Martin Road was closed for about an hour and a half as crews battled the blaze.

YORK, ME - York Village and York Beach firefighters responded to a fire on the second floor of a house at Mallard Drive.  The homeowner, whose name was not released by firefighters, was home with her five children when the fire broke out in a dryer, according to York Village Fire Chief Chris Balentine.  Firefighters also rescued a pet hamster named Fefe belonging to one of the children, according to the homeowner.  The firefighters took the hamster into the ambulance and gave it oxygen, she said.  The second floor and attic of the cape style home sustained smoke and flame damage, said Balentine.  The house was not habitable for the night, he said.

TECUMSEH, ONTARIO CANADA - Tecumseh fire officials are reminding people to turn off the dryer before leaving the house.  Deputy Chief Art Lounsbury says a build up of dryer lint caused a house fire this morning.  "Homeowners shouldn't leave the dryer running when they are not at home," says Lounsbury.  Estimated damage is $90,000.  It was limited to utilities room in the basement, but there was also smoke damage throughout the house.

NORMAL, IL - A mobile home trailer was spared from destruction Friday morning after the Normal Fire Department stopped a blaze before it spread to the structure.  Normal firefighters responded to The Landings Mobile Home Park after the homeowner reported a fire in her dryer Friday morning.  Firefighters doused the fire, reporting it extinguished a few minutes later, said spokesman Matt Swaney.  Firefighters remained to ventilate smoke from the trailer and determined the fire started because of lint buildup in the dryer's exhaust, which caused the unit to overheat and ignite the lint, Swaney said.  Swaney said damage was estimated at $10,000.

COLUMBUS, OH - One person was injured on Minerva Park Place when they discovered a fire in the laundry area.  Residents told fire officials that they woke up just after 2 a.m. because of a smell of smoke.  One person found that a clothes dryer was on fire.  That person received 2nd and 3rd degree burns when they came into contact with the flames.&nbs The fire was limited to the laundry area.  Investigators have ruled the fire accidental.

SAINT CHATHARINES, ONTARIO CANADA - Two people were rescued from a dryer blaze at a north St. Catharines home Friday morning.  Firefighters helped a mother and a son escape through a first-floor window of their Elm Park Pl. home after their dryer caught fire.  The mother was taken to the hospital, where she was treated for smoke inhalation.  In a release, St. Catharines fire chief Mark Mehlenbacher said dryer fires can be sparked by flammable lint clogging airways, causing the dryer to overheat.

HAMPTON TOWNSHIP, PA - A dryer fire in Hamilton Township around 6:30 p.m. Sunday displaced a family of three, United Hook and Ladder Company #33 Chief Steve Rabine said.  The dryer vent was clogged, which started the fire in the laundry room on the second floor of the house, Rabine said.  The fire was held to the laundry room and took about 15 minutes to control, Rabine said.  Hampton Fire Company and Liberty Fire Company No. 1 assisted at the scene.

BARNSTABLE, MA - A dryer fire that extended to a laundry room sent a 70-year-old man to Cape Cod Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation Sunday morning.  Firefighters arrived at the one-story house on Locust Lane just after 10 a.m. to find the fire mostly out, thanks to the efforts of the man who fought the fire by himself.  Barnstable firefighters, with mutual aid from Hyannis and West Barnstable fire departments, finished the job about 10 to 15 minutes after their arrival, Barnstable fire Lt. Edward Guilford said.  Fire damage was contained to the laundry room, but the rest of the house suffered smoke and heat damage, Guilford said.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Four people are safe Monday after they escaped a house fire near South Blackwelder Avenue and Williams Drive.  Crews say there were two adults and two children in the house when the blaze began in the garage Monday morning.  Firefighters think a lint clog in a clothes dryer caused it the fire.  Most of the damage is in the garage and attic.

MIDDLETON, NH - Five fire departments responded to a dryer fire on Gary Road Friday afternoon.  Fire Chief Devon Pageau said the fire reportedly started after a resident of the home had already turned off the fairly new dryer.  After finishing laundry, she smelled something burning, and when she went to see what it was she saw flames.  Pageau said arriving fire crews encountered a house full of smoke, and when they went into the hallway of the home they saw the dryer on fire.  The home sustained smoke damage throughout the house, as well as structural damage in the area of the dryer.

COLUMBIA, WA - Fire destroyed a dryer inside a home in west Hazel Dell on Thursday afternoon.  The fire was reported at 2:33 p.m. Fire District 6 originally sent one engine and upgraded the call to a full structure fire, said Assistant Chief David Taylor.  Crews arrived three minutes later and found an electric dryer on fire.  The fire was contained to the dryer, although the cabinet above the dryer was damaged, and there was smoke damage throughout the house, Taylor said.

ANSONIA, CT - An overheated dryer is to blame for a fire an apartment complex in Ansonia, Fire Marshal Roy Tingley said.  A man tried to put the fire out and suffered burns on his hands and arms, Tingley said.  The fire broke out in the basement of a unit the Beaver Brook apartments on Woodbridge Avenue.  Flames were shooting out of a window when firefighters arrived.  Although most of damage was confined to the basement of one unit, three other families had to find shelter with relatives, Tingley said.

ELKHART, IN - A dryer appears to be to blame for a blaze that broke out at an Elkhart apartment complex Monday night.  The fire started shortly before 9 p.m. inside a first floor unit at the Washington Gardens Apartments, on the city's south side.  Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the front window.  Crews were able to contain the fire, but not before it caused extensive damage to the first floor.  It is estimated that there is $3,000 in damage.

CLARKSVILLE, TN - Clarksville Fire Department responded to a report of a utility room fire at approximately 10:20 a.m. this morning in downtown Clarksville.  Units from the Clarksville Police Department also responded to the call and provided crowd and traffic control in the area.  CFD Fire Investigator Ray Williams reported the fire started in the dryer.  Firefighters were able to contain the actual fire to the utility room of the home.  Smoke damage was sustained throughout the home.

ANSONIA , CT - A dryer fire in the basement of a residence off of Woodbridge Avenue has destroyed one apartment, and rendered two others uninhabitable for the time being.  The fire extended throughout the basement of the Beaver Brook Apartments Monday night.  One resident was burned and was taken to an area hospital, fire officials confirmed.  The two other apartments are currently uninhabitable due to wire damage.

SHEBOYGAN , WI - Firefighters responded to a basement fire Sunday evening on Sheboygan's north side.  Around 6:18 PM, the Sheboygan Fire Department received a 911 call reporting a fire in the basement in the 1900 block of North 12th Street.  Firefighers quickly extinguished the fire.  According to scanner reports, the fire was caused by a dryer, which sustained damage.

BROWNSBURG, IN - Crews responded to a fire this afternoon at a home in the 5400 block of Goodwin Street in Brownsburg.  Brownsburg Assistant Fire Chief Joel Thacker said the fire originated from a dryer in the laundry room.  The home is about a quarter-mile east of Indianapolis.  There were no injuries, Thacker said, and the fire was under control by 3 p.m.

MEMPHIS, TN - Two people are safe after an early morning house fire caused by something we all commonly use – a dryer.  The fire happened in the 1200 block of Agnes Place.  Investigators say a dryer caught a wall on fire.  The blaze then spread to the attic.  The Chief stressed for everyone to please make sure their dryer vents are clear.

ROCHDALE, UK - Five people were rescued by firefighters in Rochdale last night after an overheated tumble dryer set alight in a terraced house.  Crews from Rochdale were called to the blaze on Viking Street at around 6.30pm.  The occupants of the property were alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm in their house.  Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service trauma technician administered oxygen to the casualties, who were taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.  The fire destroyed the tumble dryer and spread through the kitchen damaging the floor and causing extensive smoke damage to the ground floor of the property.

ROCKMART, GA - Firefighters determined quickly the fire was caused by lint in the back of the dryer area.  The fire broke out around 1:30 p.m.  The majority of the damage was to the laundry area and smoke and soot damage spread into the adjoining activity room.  The homeowner said there were a couple fortunate things, aside from the Rockmart Fire Department's quick response, which happened to save her home.  She said she had kept the door to the activity room shut and firefighters told her that kept the fire from spreading to the kitchen.  She is also thankful she was doing laundry in the afternoon rather than overnight.

SAVANNAH, GA - Savannah Fire & Emergency Services responded to two dryer fires in one hour Monday afternoon in Savannah's Cloverdale neighborhood.  The first occurred about 3:30 p.m. on Cloverdale Drive, said Savannah Fire spokesman Mark Keller.  He said firefighters encountered heavy smoke and flames in the home's utility room.  The flames had extended to the attic and firefighters had to ventilate the roof.  Keller said the house sustained heavy smoke and water damage.  Three residents of the home were displaced due to the damage, Keller said.  The second dryer fire occurred about 4:30 p.m. on Audubon Drive, just blocks from the first.  Keller said the fire was out upon firefighters' arrival, and that the damaged appliance was removed from the home.

POOLER, GA - Pooler firefighters responded to a fire at an apartment complex early Monday.  Fire officials say the blaze started inside of a dryer in a third floor apartment of the Carrington Square Apartment homes causing damage to the laundry room and the unit.  A family of three who live in the damaged unit have been displaced.

MARDELA SPRINGS, MD - Red Cross is helping a Mardela Springs family whose home was reportedly destroyed by a dryer vent fire.  The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office says that the fire, that was discovered by a neighbor a little after 11 on Friday morning, started in the laundry room of the Charles Street home.  Officials say that materials in the dryer vent ignited.  It took 20 fire fighters, from three different companies, 20 minutes to put out the blaze.  Damages are estimated at $45,000.

NORTH DEVON, UK - TWO fire engines from Ilfracombe were called to a ground floor flat in the town after a report of a tumble dryer on fire.  The woman occupant and a child had already left the privately-owned flat in La Bastille by the time crews arrived.  They discovered a fire in the tumble dryer in the living room and put it out using two breathing apparatus, one hose reel jet and small tools.  They then ventilated the property to clear it of smoke.

AMBRIDGE, PA - A fire broke out in the laundry room of the Elderberry Court senior center on Merchant Street late Wednesday night.  Around 11:30 p.m. a fire started in the dryer and filled the facility with heavy smoke.  Smoke consumed the basement, first and second floor, leading to the evacuation of 41 seniors who live in the center.  Authorities said the residents responded as best as they could to the fire by putting it out with a fire extinguisher.  "We had crews ventilate the building to get the smoke out," Assistant Fire Chief Rob Gottschalk said.  One woman was taken to Sewickley Valley Hospital as a precautionary measure.

WALCOTT, ND - A dryer is believed to be the cause of a house fire that occurred Tuesday afternoon.  Richland County Communications received an emergency call of a residential fire in rural Walcott about 4:39 p.m. Tuesday.  Fire Departments from Walcott, Colfax, Abercrombie, Wolverton, Minn., and Christine responded, stated a press release from Richland County Sheriff's Office.  Crews found heavy smoke damage coming from the basement of the house.  Walcott Fire Department officials said the home's clothes dryer appeared to have started the fire.

KENT, UK - A man has been given oxygen therapy by fire crews this morning after fire broke out in a tumble dryer.  Fire crews were called to Regent Street at 10.51am after the fire broke out.  On arrival they found that the man had gone back into his smoke filled home to look for his pet dog.  Two fire engines from Whitstable were on the scene within minutes and found the man coming back out of his home, suffering from the effects of breathing in smoke.  After initially being treated by fire crews, he was assessed by paramedics.

WHEATFIELD, NY - A one-story home was damaged when a dryer caught fire at 12:30 p.m. Monday on Sy Road.  Volunteer firefighters from Bergholz were assisted by St. Johnsburg and Frontier fire companies and had the fire under control in about half an hour, according to Berholz Assistant Fire Chief Dennis Stoelting.  The dryer was in an attached garage and the fire spread to the rear the house.  "The back end of the house sustained some pretty good damage," Stoelting said. "The dryer was in the back part of the house.  There was damage to that area and the house sustained some smoke damage."

HINSDALE, NH - Doug Martin said he had just walked upstairs from his basement after putting the family's laundry in the dryer when his son said he smelled smoke.  A few minutes later the home's smoke detectors went off, sending Martin rushing back to the basement.  When Martin got back downstairs the dryer was on fire and flames were crawling out of the machine.  Hinsdale Fire Chief Jay Matuszewski said he was pleased with how quickly the emergency crews arrived.  "We had a good response time and were able to save the house from potential real damage," he said.  Matuszewski said flames had burned two walls and destroyed the dryer and washing machine.  He estimated the damage at roughly $20,000.

MCLEAN, VA - A fire that started in the exhaust vent of a dryer in the main building of Arleigh Burke Pavilion has temporarily displaced 47 residents of the nursing home and retirement community, said Deputy Fire Chief Andrew Duke, one of several emergency responders with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department on scene Thursday morning.  The fire generated significant smoke in the building and extended to the second floor before firefighters extinguished the flames, which were not visible from the outside of the building.

ELBA, NY - A dryer fire was declared under control at North Byron Rd. in Elba, dispatchers said.  Heavy smoke was coming from the basement before firefighters put out the blaze.  A resident was reportedly treated for smoke inhalation.  Two alarms and five departments had been called.

THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO - A dryer is being blamed for a fire on Victor Street.  No one was injured in the fire that caused heavy smoke and fire damage Saturday.  A tenant of the home returned to find smoke pouring from the basement around 9 p.m.  Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue responded with five pumpers and an aerial ladder to battle the blaze.

AUBURN, NY - A dryer fire Tuesday displaced five people and damaged an Auburn home, according to the Auburn Fire Department.  Firefighters said a clothes dryer caught fire at around 4 p.m.  Then the fire spread to the wall next to the dryer.  The room the dryer was in was damaged and one child and four adults were displaced after the home was condemned.

GRAHAM, TX - A fire broke out early Thursday morning at Horizon Bay.  Graham Fire Rescue Chief Dennie Covey said firefighters responded when a dryer in the laundry room on the second floor caught fire.  Two engines and eight firefighters were on the scene.  The fire filled the building with smoke which firefighters set up fans to remove.  "It completely destroyed the dryer.  They're going to have to do some carpet cleaning and mopping," said the chief.

Spring Hall Close, Shelf, UK - A couple had to be treated for smoke inhalation after a dryer caught fire at their home in Spring Hall, Shelf, this morning.  A female occupant managed to smell the smoke before the smoke detector went off and got out of the house with her husband.  He had tried to grab the clothes out of the dryer but was overcome by smoke.  The kitchen was damaged and the couple were treated with oxygen at the scene by Odsal firefighters.

BLACKHEATH, UK - A TUMBLE dryer has been blamed for a severe blaze at a Blackheath home this afternoon (Sunday) which left a family pet dead.  Fire crews from Cradley Heath, Oldbury and Aston were called out to a house in Meadow Road just before 1pm.  A fierce fire was raging in the understairs cupboard on the ground floor of the semi detached property when firefighters arrived but no occupants were inside.  No-one was hurt but a dog died as a result of the blaze which firefighters say was caused by a tumble dryer in the understairs storage cupboard.

INDIO, CA - Residents of an apartment complex were forced to leave their homes after a clothing dryer caught fire.  The fire was reported around 7:50 p.m. Saturday at a three-story building near Indio High School in the 81700 block of Avenue 46.  According to Riverside County Fire officials, a dryer on the second floor caught fire, sending smoke throughout the residences.  Residents quickly evacuated and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire within minutes.  One person was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries.

MIDLAND, TX - Residents at an apartment complex in Midland were awakened to an evacuation after a unit catches on fire.  Midland Firefighters were called out to a structure fire on the 500 block of Delmar.  Firefighters tell CBS 7 that the cause of the fire is believed to be a clog in the dryer vent.

CEDAR LAKE, IN - A fire that started in a clothes dryer gutted half of a Cedar Lake duplex Friday morning.  The other half of the duplex was saved by the Cedar Lake Fire Department, Chief Todd Wilkening said.  Wilkening said the residents were home when the fire started and called about 10:30 a.m.  Damage to the unit is estimated at $50,000, Wilkening said.

ALBANY, OH - Firefighters responded to to a dryer fire after lint in the vent caught fire, igniting a small area of the wall.  The fire was extinguished upon firefighters arrival, and the dryer and smoke were removed from the home.  Damage to the dryer and wall has been estimated at $500.

TYLER, TX - Tyler Fire authorities tell KETK they responded to a housefire on Timberlane Drive just after nine Friday morning.  Authorities suspect the fire was caused by the house's dryer, that then extended into the garage.  Two people were in the house at the time, and both were taken to a local hospital for precautions, but are believed to be okay.

LINCOLN, NE - Three people, three dogs and one cat escaped an afternoon fire Thursday with no injuries but for a few frayed nerves.  Eric Parker said he smelled smoke just before 2:30 in the two-story house.  Parker went to investigate.  In the basement, he found the dryer vent smoking and grabbed a fire extinguisher, but it didn't work, he said.  Lincoln Fire and Rescue arrived shortly thereafter and extinguished flames in both the basement and on the outside of the house, Battalion Chief Timothy Linke said.  City Fire Inspector Ken Hilger said lint in the dryer vent caused the fire. He estimated about $10,000 in damage was done to the structure and $10,000 to the contents.

SYRACUSE, NY - A Syracuse couple made it out of their house safely after a basement fire this evening.  Christopher Conrad said his wife smelled smoke and they evacuated the two-story house at Wente Terrace.  He blamed the fire on a dryer in the basement.  Too much lint had built up, causing the fire, said Syracuse fire investigator Lt. John Cussen.  Conrad, who grew up in the house and moved back in 1988, said the 6:40 p.m. fire was contained mostly to the basement.  But there was electrical and smoke damage throughout the residence.

SCRANTON, PA - A small fire that began in a home's clothes dryer displaced seven residents Tuesday morning, authorities said.  Scranton Fire Chief Tom Davis said crews responded at 3:57 a.m. after the dryer caught fire.  The small blaze woke Willie Offord, a resident, who sprayed a garden hose at the fire through a basement window, limiting its spread, Chief Davis said.  Chief Davis said only the basement suffered fire damage, though smoke and water caused damage throughout the house.

SANTA BARBARA, CA - A clothes dryer is being blamed for a fire that damaged a home near Lompoc Monday evening.  Firefighters were called to the home in Mission Hills shortly after 6 p.m., and found flames and smoke coming from the structure, said Capt. David Sadecki of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.  Within 15 minutes, crews had the blazed knocked down, Sadecki said.  Because the door connecting the garage to the house was closed at the time, fire damage was limited to the garage, he said, adding that there was minor smoke damage to the home itself.

MUKILTEO, WA - A dryer in a Mukilteo apartment caught fire early Monday morning as a resident was doing a load of laundry.  The fire started in the dryer in an apartment at the Alara Harbour Pointe Apartments complex.  "The first arriving engine reported seeing moderate smoke in the unit and was able to extinguish the fire," said Assistant Chief Brian McMahan.  The four residents of the ground-floor apartment escaped and were uninjured, McMahan said.  They were displaced from their home for the night, due to smoke damage.  The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental, and was started from the dryer itself, McMahan said.  As a reminder, all dryers should be cleaned from lint after each use and the vents and area around the dryer should be cleaned periodically, he said.

SAN DIEGO, CA - A dryer sparked a fire that caused extensive damage at a house in San Carlos house Friday night.  The blaze was reported at 10:18 p.m. at the house on Town View Lane, near Lazy Cloud Point, a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department dispatcher said.  The residence was reported to be engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.  The fire was caused by a malfunction in the dryer's exhaust vent, officials said.  San Diego fire officials estimate the fire caused $200,000 in structure damage and $100,000 in property damage.

LITTLE RIVER, NC - A 100-year-old house in Caldwell County was destroyed Saturday morning by a fire that began in a dryer vent, officials said.  A passerby noticed the flames, and firefighters were on their way just before 11 a.m. when the homeowner noticed smoke nearby and returned home, Caldwell County Fire Marshal Robbie Wilkie said.  But by then, the house was engulfed in flames and totally destroyed.  Officials said the fire started in the dryer vent.  "We always recommend that people clean out their dryer vents at least twice a year," Wilkie said in a statement. "I am not talking about the front vent. They need to move the dryer out from the wall and clean out the vent that connects the dryer to the outside. That is where the lint can build up the most and be the worst fire hazard."  The fire caused an estimated $150,000 in damage.

JOLIET, IL - A Joliet family was left temporarily homeless Thursday night after dryer fire damaged part of their East Side house.  The fire broke out sometime after 10 p.m., a Joliet fire official on the scene said.  Part of a wall had to be destroyed in order to contain the blaze, he said.  No damage estimate was available Thursday night.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - At 12:45 p.m., firefighters from Stations 3, 1, and 4 responded to a single story house fire in the 600 Block of Campbell Street. The fire was called in by an occupant who noticed fire coming from the dryer located in the carport.  When firefighters arrived on scene the fire was rapidly spreading into the attic.  The three residents of the home were displaced.  No injuries were reported at the scene and damages from the fire were estimated at $30,000.  The fire started in the clothes dryer and is believed to have been the result of a clogged lint screen.

ENOCH, UT - An Enoch family and their pets safely escaped their home before a fire destroyed the residence on Monday.  Fire officials believe the fire started in the dryer.  Adam Warhurst owns the home and lived there with his wife and five young children.  He said he was sitting in his living room when his wife said she smelt smoke.  "The fire was coming from the dryer," Warhurst said.  Travis Douglas with the Cedar City Fire Department was the incident commander and said the page came in "small fire in a basement linked to the dryer."  "We had a firefighter just a few houses down and by the time he got there, there was smoke pouring from the attic," Douglas said adding that he thinks the fire traveled up the dryer vent into the attic.

OAKLEY, CA - Two people were injured in an two-alarm afternoon fire started by a dryer at a condominium complex.  The fire, reported at about 1:47 p.m., burned two units at the complex, in the 2700 block of Mariner Road.  Firefighters from the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District extinguished the blaze by about 2:04 p.m., according to a fire dispatcher.  There was no immediate information on the extent of the injuries; at least one person was taken to a hospital.

HENRICO, VA - Fire investigators say a dryer caused a fire at a Henrico apartment complex Saturday morning.  Officials said it happened around 11 a.m. at the Aspen Station apartment complex in the 1500 block of Forest Run Drive.  The apartment suffered serious damage and there was also some possible smoke damage to other units.

LA MESA, CA - An early morning fire destroyed a La Mesa family's garage and left them looking for a place to stay this weekend.  Heartland Fire and Rescue crews arrived to the home on Dugan Avenue and found an active fire inside an attached garage.  Three adults and two children living inside the home had escaped the flames according to La Mesa police officers.  Firefighters kept the fire from moving into the home but as images taken after the flames were extinguished shows extensive damage.  The cause of the fire was too much lint in a dryer kept in the garage according to fire investigators.

HIBBING, MN - A laundry dryer at Guardian Angels Health and Rehabilitation Center caught fire around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, prompting the Hibbing Fire Department to pay the local nursing home an emergency visit.  "Crews went inside and found a heavy smoke condition in the halls of that wing and the lobby area there," Acting Battalion Chief Andy Anderson said. "The fire had been extinguished by then."  "A staff member had been in the room at the time of the fire, and got a whiff of smoke," said Anderson.  "She pulled the alarm according to their actions plans and they started getting people out of there."  The cause of the fire was an excessive amount of lint in the unit, Fire Marshal Bryan Fagerstrom confirmed. It caught fire in the combustion area of the dryer.

OAK GROVE, WI - Juneau Fire Chief Curt Ninmann said firefighters used approximately 20,000 gallons of water fighting the fire.  He said fire started in a clothes dryer on the first floor and spread into the upper level.  Ninmann said all areas of the house were affected by fire, smoke and water damage.  Ninmann said there were no injuries, but firefighters had some heat-related issues.  Beaver Dam, Burnett, Clyman, Hustisford, Iron Ridge, Mayville and Kekoskee fire departments assisted.

WOODBURN, OR - A fire in Woodburn was caused by a clothes dryer.  Woodburn Fire District crews responded to the home just after noon Friday.  The homeowner discovered the fire when her smoke alarms went off.  When she went upstairs to investigate, she saw heavy dark smoke coming from the clothes dryer closet.  Officials said she immediately got her children and exited the house and called 911 from outside the home.  First fire crews arrived in six minutes and reported smoke coming from the attic vents of the home.  The fire was quickly extinguished.  Damages are estimated at $35,000.

MARYDEL, DE - A fire at a Marydel home was caused by a dryer.  That's the conclusion of an investigation by the Delaware State Fire Marshal's office in Kent County into a fire at a home in Marydel.  The Marydel Fire Company arrived to find the home releasing smoke and flames and quickly sought assistance from other local departments.  Firefighters from the Hartly, Camden Wyoming and Goldsboro, Md., companies responded to the scene.  Damages were estimated at $75,000.

ROCK ISLAND, IL - A Rock Island family was forced to seek other living accommodations this morning after a dryer fire filled their home with smoke.  Rock Island firefighters arrived to find moderate smoke in the basement and first floor of the two-family dwelling.  A resident told firefighters that smoke detectors were going off in the basement.  Firefighters entered the structure through an outside basement entrance and were able to locate the dryer as the source of the fire.

LORAIN, OH - A full lint trap caused a dryer to catch on fire in an Oberlin Avenue house yesterday, according to Lorain Fire Assistant Chief Gary Burls.  The call came in as a dryer fire but spread by the time firefighters arrived.  "We found the dryer was on fire and the utility room was involved," Burls said.  Firefighters found a dryer vent was obstructed with lint and caused the fire to ignite, Burls said.  The fire caused $20,000 of damage to the house and $6,000 of damage to the contents, Burls said.

SCAPPOOSE, OR - Crews from Columbia River Fire & Rescue and Scappoose Rural Fire District battled a large blaze that took nearly two hours to bring under control.  Firefighters were called to Millard Road in Warren, at around 9:30 a.m. Upon arrival, personnel found the 1930s-era home already fully involved.  According to CRF&R Chief Jay Tappan, it took longer to get under control because the fire had spread into the attic's concealed spaces.  "Fire crews had to literally disassemble the roof to get to it," said Tappan.  The source of the fire was determined to be a clothes dryer.  Lint inside the dryer ignited, causing a fire that spread rapidly to the wall structure and then up to the attic.  The home was thought to be close to a total loss and the family received assistance from the Red Cross, primarily in clothing as they lost nearly everything in the fire.

SYDNEY, OH - Sidney Fire and Emergency Service personnel responded to a report of a dryer fire at N. Pomeroy Ave.  The occupant noticed smoke coming from her dryer.  On arrival, crews discovered the laundry room involved in fire.  The fire was contained to the laundry room.  Smoke damage was throughout the house.  All off duty fire firefighters were called in, along with mutual aid from Anna Fire Department.  Firefighters remained on scene for a couple hours.

MIDLAND, MI - A dryer fire was responsible for $5,000 in damage to a resident's home Thursday night.  The Midland Fire Department responded to the 8:15 p.m. call, and found light smoke in the home.  Firefighters used a fire extinguisher to knock down flames in the dryer and an uncovered electrical panel, then removed the dryer from the home.  No firefighters or residents were hurt.  The exact cause of the fire has not been determined, but likely was a build-up of lint in the dryer.

CHILLIWACK, BC - Firefighters responded to a call of smoke coming from a home at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday.  Upon arrival, firefighters saw smoke coming from a heating system exhaust on the roof of the house.  Inside, a clothes dryer on fire was discovered.  Firefighters put out the flames and carried the dryer from the house.  Light smoke damage was found on the second floor of the home.  But Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Ullyot reminded Chilliwack residents "to regularly check the exhaust line between the dryer and the outside wall, and keep it clear of any lint or other debris that may accumulate over time."

LOWVILLE, NY - A Lowville home suffered smoke and water damage Monday after lint buildup in a dryer caused a fire that spread to the walls of the room the appliance was in.  Heavy smoke spread throughout the trailer, but there was little structural damage, according to a news release from the Lewis County Sheriff's Department.  No injuries were reported.

MONON, IN - Residents of a White County home were not present when a fire occurred at their residence around 9:30 p.m. Monday night, Monon Fire Chief Brad Hahn said.  The fire is believed to have started in the laundry room from a clothes dryer.  Flames eventually moved to the back of the house where firefighters from Monon, Buffalo, and Reynolds Fire Departments contained the blaze around 10:15 p.m., Hahn said.  The home was a complete loss, he said.

BOCA RATON, FL - Firefighters say a dryer started a fire at a home Monday night, causing more than $200,000 in damage.  It happened overnight at a home on Doran Avenue.  When crews arrived, they found flames in the garage that spread to other parts of the home.  Two adults were inside and got out safely.

SANTA YNEZ, CA - A Santa Ynez woman's home was devastated early this morning when a fire consumed it.  A neighbor noticed the flames around 2am Sunday, and believed the fire to be a vegetation fire but it was her neighbors home in flames.  The fire station had to send out four engines, officials say it was because the woman's house containted so much stuff!  It was getting in the way of dousing the fire.  Investigators determined the cause of the fire was due to her clothes dryer.

CHARLOTTE, NC - A dryer caused thousands of dollars in damage Friday.  The blaze sparked on Wood Green Terrace Friday.  Fire officials on the scene told NewsChannel 36 that a dryer started the fire.  Officials estimated there was $12,000 in damage to the laundry room.  The family was not home at the time of the fire and no one was injured.

MEMPHIS, TN - A blocked clothes dryer vent started a house fire that caused about $22,000 in damage this week, according to investigators.  Firefighters could see flames coming from a unit in the Eden at Watersedge Apartments when they made the scene just after 11:30 p.m.  The fire was extinguished quickly, but investigators say it still managed to cause about $15,000 in damage to the unit and about $7,500 in damage to the occupants' belongings.

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA - A residential dryer fire on Marine Place Monday was put out with a water extinguisher from a fire engine, according to Frank Chiella of the Manhattan Beach Fire Department.  The fire, confined to the home's laundry room, caused moderate smoke damage to that room, Chiella said. Lint appeared to be the cause of the fire, he said, adding that lint should be removed from a dryer's lint screen after every use to prevent buildup that then overflows to areas behind a dryer or into dryer ventilation, becoming a fire hazard.

EAST HAVEN, CT - Quick action by East Haven firefighters stopped a basement fire from spreading throughout a Hemingway Avenue home Tuesday afternoon.  Although there was no structural damage to the building from the fire, the home did take on significant smoke damage to both the first and second floors, as well as the basement.  The fire appeared to have been caused by a clothes dryer, which then spread to a pile of clothes waiting to be put into the wash.

NEW CASTLE, PA - A build-up of lint in a clothes dryer was responsible for a fire at Westminster College Monday.  The fire department was contacted, but capus personnell mangaged to extinguish the fire before they arrived. There was no real damage to the building, which is currently hosting 100 students for the college's summer swimming camp.

SAULT STE MARIE, ONTARIO - At approximately 4 p.m., Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services responded to a 911 call in the 100 block of Goulais Avenue.  Upon arrival, the occupant of the home directed firefighters to the basement level, where they discovered lint behind a dryer on fire.  The fire caused light smoke damage throughout the basement.  Further investigation revealed an improper dryer venting connection and lack of maintenance as the cause of this fire.

Syracuse, NY - More than 50 people were displaced by a fire that started in a dryer of the Moses DeWitt Apartments.  The fire started in a laundry room on the third floor of the four-story building, said Syracuse Fire Chief Mark McLees. The building had 52 residents, including one out of town, in 37 units.  Of the 51 affected residents, 20 to 25 needed help finding shelter.  Syracuse Fire Department Lt. Ken Heffernan said the fire was caused by an accumulation of lint. "It's a bad situation, but these things happen," said Corey Phillips who lives on second floor.  "All of us are going to be pushed out of our houses, but it's most likely for the best, for our safety."

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Six children escaped their home unharmed today after a fire started in the family's dryer.  The children -- ages 14, 11, 9, 7, 5 and 4 -- were at their home when they started the dryer, smelled smoke, turned the dryer off and unplugged it.  Within the next minute, they noticed flames inside the glass dryer door, according to Capt. Rita Burris with the Indianapolis Fire Department.  The children got out of the house -- and called their father.  He called 911.  Firefighters arrived to find thick smoke inside the house.  Fire was contained to the laundry room but the rest of the house sustained extensive smoke damage, Burris said.

NEW YORK, NY - A luxury Manhattan apartment owned by an 'A' list Hollywood star went from classy to crispy Friday afternoon following a raging fire.  The fifth-floor residence at 88 Central Park West owned by Robert De Niro is now uninhabitable.  Smoke and then water flowed out of the laundry room of the unit earlier in the day.  The actor and his family were not home, according to his representative.  The 11-floor building was evacuated for several hours as fire fighters crammed into the only staircase that could get them to the unit. Fire officials believe the flames started from a dryer in the apartment.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Three firefighters are left injured and a family is without a home after their clothes dryer caused a house fire.  Lt. Mike Bellamy with the Tallahassee Fire Department tells WTXL four units responded to a house fire.  The blaze was extinguished within minutes but fire officials say two firefighters were hurt when the roof collapsed on them.  A third firefighter was injured after falling through the back deck and twisting his knee.  Damages are estimated at $60,000.  The home is a total loss.

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL - A dryer fire caused $40,000 in damage to two Crystal Lake townhouses Saturday and displaced two residents.  Crystal Lake firefighters were called toWindham Cove Drive shortly after 11 a.m.  At the scene, they saw smoke coming from the second level of the townhome and evacuated residents from the four-unit building.  Firefighters contained the fire to the laundry room, but smoke and water damaged the unit.  Investigators determined the fire was accidental.  Fire officials said two residents were displaced as a result of the fire.

FLORENCE, KY - Fire destroyed a home here Wednesday afternoon.  The fire on Amber Drive was reported about 1:30 p.m., said Florence Fire Commander Bud Webster.  The resident was able to get herself and her dog and cat out of the mobile home before the fire spread.  Flames were coming from the home when firefighters arrived, Webster said.  Burlington firefighters also responded and the departments had the fire under control in about 20 minutes.  Firefighters determined that the fire was caused by a dryer, he said.

CONSTANTINE, MI - Constantine Fire Department responded to a reported dryer fire at Whispering Pines Trailer Park Tuesday evening approximately 10 PM.  The resident noticed smoke coming from the dryer and called 911.  Constantine Police also responded and upon their arrival saw flames coming from the dryer.  Officer Steve Dibble used his fire extinguisher to knock down the fire.  Fire crews arrived shortly after that and removed the dryer.  A plugged dryer vent appears to be the cause of the fire.

WEST NORRITON, PA - A dryer fire in the second-floor apartment of the caretaker's building inside Montgomery Cemetery was put out Tuesday morning.  The Jefferson, Norristown and Lower Providence fire companies and Plymouth Ambulance responded to the fire, said Jefferson Fire Co. Fire Chief Kevin Guirate.  "The female renter called to report the fire," Guirate said.  "The laundry room/bathroom was destroyed by fire.  There was smoke damage to the other rooms."

MOBILE, AL - A fire that originated in the utility room caused an estimated $80,000 in damage this morning, Mobile Fire-Rescue Department officials said today in a news release.  Firefighters were called to the 5000 block of St. Gallen Avenue.  Firefighters were told that smoke and flames were coming from the large, single-story, brick veneer structure.  Fire investigators determined that the fire started in the dryer.  The fire was caused by a full lint trap and heat from the dryer caught the lint on fire.  The fire spread throughout the house and there was heat and smoke damage as well.

SEATTLE, WA - A dryer fire quickly spread inside a Lake City home forcing the residents to evacuate, said fire officials.  When crews arrived on scene they could see flames shooting through the front door and heavy smoke coming from the first floor.  "This was a stubborn fire. We had to cut major holes in the roof to not only vent the fire, give it a place to go, but also to cut out some of the hot spots," said Kyle Moore, spokesman for the Seattle Fire Department.  The damage total for the home is estimated at $225,000.

PROVIDENCE, RI - Firefighters responded to a house fire early Friday morning after material ignited in a dryer.  About three fire trucks responded to the scene.  The six people living in the home safely exited the building; there were no injuries, according to Captain Oscar Elmasian.  The first-floor kitchen area of the single-family home was damaged, according to the captain.  The blaze was discovered after a woman reportedly saw a light haze of smoke in one of the rooms and then found a fire smoldering in the dryer.  Once she opened the door, the fire was fueled by more oxygen and spread throughout the surrounding rooms.

TWIN FALLS, ID - A woman and two young children were unharmed by a Wednesday morning house fire in Twin Falls, but firefighters estimate the house sustained $25,000.  The fire started in a dryer vent on the outside of the house and burned to the porch area, said Twin Falls Fire Department Battalion Chief Jack Barnes.  A window was broken in the blaze and smoke vented into the kitchen, he said.  The major fire damage to the house was on the outside, but there is some smoke damage inside.  Fires in dryer vents are generally caused by a buildup of lint and can usually be prevented by cleaning the vent out regularly, Barnes said.  "Nationally, it's one of the more prevalent causes in home fires," he said.

LUDLOW, WI - Firefighters responded to a basement fire Tuesday around 8:30 p.m.  All of the home occupants escaped unharmed, Ludlow Fire Chief Mark Babineau said.  The fire started in the dryer, Babineau said. He said when firefighters arrived, the fire was confined to the basement and firefighters were able to put it out before it spread.  He said the rest of the house suffered heat and smoke damage.  The extent of structural damage won't be known until fire officials can go back in after the smoke clears, and the occupants would not be able to stay in the house tonight, Babineau said.

BILOXI, MS - Investigators believe a clothes dryer started a fire that destroyed a house in Biloxi Sunday night, according to the Biloxi Fire Department.  Officials said, a call came in around 8:50 p.m about a house fire off of Popps Ferry Road.  When firefighters arrived, officials said, flames were shooting about 50 feet in the air.  Biloxi's fire chief said the clothes dryer was left on and it sparked the blaze.

FOX POINT, WI - A Fox Point home at W. Bradley Rd. caught fire early Wednesday morning when lint from the dryer ignited.  "We had a fire in a clothes dryer in the basement," said Pete Busalacchi, operations battalion chief for the North Shore Fire Department.  "There was a bit of property damage outside the dryer." Two residents were home when the fire started.

MITCHELL, SD - Crews continue monitoring a fire that destroyed a home in Mitchell Tuesday evening.  Firefighters were called to a house on the 600 block of South Langdon.  A homeowner says the fire started in a clothes dryer.  Crews knocked down most of the flames within a half hour, but they are still monitoring hot spots.  Assistant Fire Chief Paul Morris says no one was hurt in the fire, but he expects the home to be a total loss.

PERRY TOWNSHIP, OH - Firefighters battled a dryer fire Monday evening at a residence in the 200 block of Newport Avenue.  According to reports, the fire, which occurred shortly before 4:30 p.m., caused roughly $20,000 in damage heat and fire damage.  The fire was believed to have been caused by a malfunctioning clothes dryer.

GOOLE, UK - Three people had a lucky escape from a fire in their Goole home after being alerted by a smoke alarm.  Fire crews from Goole and Howden were called to the incident in Jefferson Street.  One of the residents had put the tumble dryer on and then gone upstairs.  Some time later the smoke alarm sounded and the family discovered the tumble dryer on fire.  The early warning allowed all three people to get out of the house safely before which one of them was able to close the door to the room where the tumble dryer was, preventing the smoke and fire spreading to rest of the house.

TAYLOR , MI - A house sustained extensive damage Tuesday, four days after another was gutted by fire.  A dryer is the suspected cause of a Tuesday afternoon fire in the 6000 block of Janet Street.  There were no injuries after a smoke detector alerted the resident, her 19-year-old son, her niece and a baby girl, all of whom escaped at about 1 p.m.  Fire Marshal John Hager said that the resident's dryer caught fire and that arson has been ruled out.  "There was some debris in the drier vent," he said.  Because the dryer was in the kitchen of the house, which did not have a basement, damage was extensive.

TOLEDO, OH - An east Toledo man is in the hospital after trying to put out a house fire late Tuesday.  Investigators say the fire began in a clothes dryer just after 11 p.m. at a home on Utah Street near Navarre.  The couple living in the home tried to put out the flames, but the fire quickly got out of control.  The man was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and chest pains.  The woman did suffer a minor burn but did not want to be taken in for treatment.  The house is a total loss.

PALATINE, IL - A clothes dryer is to blame for a fire that erupted on Monday, Apr. 9.  According to Palatine fire officials, they first received a call of the fire at 2:20 p.m.  Crews arrived in seven minutes and reported light smoke showing from the two-story, four-unit condominium building.  The unit where the fire originated had minor damage that was contained to the laundry room, officials said.  Damage to the structure and contents is estimated at $3,000.  The Palatine Fire Dept. reminds everyone to be sure to keep their dryers and dryer vents clear of lint buildup.

HUNTINGTON, MD - The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office has determined an early morning house fire on Solomons Island Road in Huntingtown Saturday, April 7 was an accident.  According to a report submitted by Dfm. Dexter Hodges, the blaze, which was reported shortly after midnight, caused $150,000 damage to a two-story, wood-frame, single-family home.  Hodges reported the fire originated in a clothes dryer vent in the laundry room.  "The fire was determined to be accidental from the vent igniting in the clothes dryer after it was clogged," Hodges stated.

SAVANNAH, GA - Five residents are looking for a new place to call home.  This, after their dryer caught fire.  The homeowner says the dryer became overheated and caught fire.  She immediately called 911.  Fifteen Southside Firefighters worked quickly to put the blaze out before it spread.  The family will have to find another place to stay for the night.

ESCONDIDO, CA - Escondido fire officials said clothes dryers are to blame for two residential fires Friday night, including one that displaced five people and caused $15,000 in damage.  A fire was reported at 10:28 p.m. in an apartment building on North Escondido Boulevard.  Crews arrived to find smoke coming from a first-floor apartment.  The fire, contained at 10:44 p.m., caused extensive damage to the apartment.  The five residents made arrangements to stay elsewhere.  Those firefighters responded to another fire reported at 11:32 p.m. in a single-family home on Sixth Avenue.  Damage was limited to the contents of the dryer and the appliance.

SALEM, MA - The Salem Fire Department extinguished a fire that originated in a dryer early Friday morning.  No one was injured in the fire, which took approximately 25 minutes to put out, according to Dep. Fire Chief Gerry Giunta.  When firefighters from Engine 2 geared, masked up and initially went up the front door with a hand line, Giunta said they were crawling and "it was getting hotter and hotter, but they were not seeing any flames" because of the floor plan of the apartment.  Firefighters saw the living room, kitchen and bedroom when they entered, but they had to "jog right [in a hallway] to actually see it [the fire]," which was concentrated in a laundry room/bathroom.  The deputy said walls in the bathroom area were "gutted," but firefighters were able to stop the fire from extending into the attic.

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, MI - Maryanne Strom tried to console a family who stood outside their Justin Drive home after a dryer caught fire and spread quickly.  "If you need anything, let me know," said Strom, while Grand Blanc firefighters chopped siding off the home and tossed the burnt dryer into the front yard.  Grand Blanc Fire Chief Jim Harmes called the home a total loss, but he said none of the three people inside the home were injured during the incident.

RAMAH, CO - The high fire danger was a big concern for firefighters in El Paso County after a home there went up in flames.  The fire was sparked Saturday afternoon in a rural area near the town of Ramah.  LeRoy Gordon and five others lived in the home for more than 10 years.  The home is now a total loss.  Extra fire crews were called in because of high fire danger levels and concerns the fire could spread to the dry rural area.  Unfortunately they weren't able to save the home or anything inside.  Investigators believe that the clothes dryer is where the fire started.

GREENBRIAR, VA - A fire started in the dryer of a stacked condo.  Fire & Rescue units were called to a fire at 7:26 p.m. on Wednesday.  A representative with the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department said there was nobody was in the condo, and there were no injuries.  The fire was under control by 8 p.m., and firefighters were working on clearing smoke from the home.  Officials determined that the fire began in the dryer.

EL PASO, TX - At about 11:22 a.m. Tuesday, El Paso Fire Dept. fire crews were sent to a house fire in the 9800 block of Everwood in East El Paso.  Fire crews saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the left side of the home when they arrived.  More than 20 firefighters and seven units responded to the fire.  The fire originated in the back laundry room and spread to half of the home's attic space.  Fire investigators determined improper dryer maintenance was the cause of the fire.  Damages are estimated at $25,000.

INDIANAPOLIS, IL - An Indianapolis firefighter suffered minor injuries early Monday morning after a fire on the city's east side.  Fire crews were sent to a home n Butler Avenue near Reeder Street.  A laundry dryer in the home caught fire.  Firefighters were able to contain the flames to the utility room and the one man who was inside the home got out safely.  The firefighter was burned while carrying the dryer out of the home.

SMOAKS, SC - The Colleton County Fire and Rescue was called a to house fire early Friday morning on Mount Carmel Road in Smoaks.  When firefighters arrived at the scene they could see heavy smoke and flames.  Firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading, but much of the home was already damaged.  The family of three including a child told firefighters that they were awakened by their smoke detectors in the home.  Authorities say the fire was started by a clothes dryer.

PITTSBURGH, PA - A family pet saved the day when it alerted a babysitter of an apartment fire in Elizabeth Township on Saturday morning, firefighters said.  Fire officials said a dryer caught fire in the utility room of an apartment along Smithfield Street early Saturday.  The babysitter and two children were able to get out of the home safely.  Two nearby apartments sustained some smoke damage.

GAITHERSBURG, MD - Montgomery County Fire and Rescue units quickly put out a fire in the basement of a town house this afternoon in Gaithersburg.  The fire was sparked by the clothes dryer, according to Fire and Rescue spokesman Capt. Oscar Garcia.  About 40 firefighters responded to the scene, he said.  There was one person home when the fire began, Garcia said, but he had evacuated by the time firefighters arrived.

BEAR CREEK TOWNSHIP, MI - Officials with Resort Bear Creek Fire Department responded to a fire in a clothes dryer in Independence Village, about 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, according to fire chief Al Welsheimer.  The fire was under control within about 30 minutes and the dryer sustained damage, Welsheimer stated.  Officials remained at the scene for about an hour, he said.  Welsheimer said lint buildup was apparently to blame for the blaze.

KILLEEN, TX - A fire that started in a dryer in the garage of a home in the 1400 block of Hammond Drive in Killeen sent five people to a local hospital.  The two adults and three children were all suffering from smoke inhalation.  Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and had left the scene, but were sent back about 10 minutes later after a call for an ambulance at the residence.

FRANKLIN, RI - A Franklin family is staying with relatives after a fire damaged their split-level Oakland Parkway home, fire officials said.  Firefighters arrived at 11:09 a.m. yesterday and found smoke pouring from the front door and back of the home, Fire Chief Gary McCarraher said.  Crews from Franklin, Bellingham and Norfolk put out the fire in about 30 minutes, McCarraher said.  The fire started in the laundry room, which was severely damaged.  There was "moderate smoke damage" throughout the rest of the home, he said.  The owner said the fire started in a dryer.

CARTERSVILLE, GA - A clothes dryer was the culprit in a fire that sent two men to hospitals and damaged a mobile home off Highway 61 in Cartersville.  Bartow County Fire Department's Bryan Cox, recently named fire marshal, said an elderly Carnes Drive resident who suffered smoke inhalation and minor burns to his face and neck was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta following the 4 p.m. blaze.

VERNDALE, MN - Fifteen Verndale firefighters along with the Wadena Fire Department responded to a house fire around 10:30 a.m. Friday.  Verndale fire chief Don Weniger said the home was gutted after a fire erupted in the home from what is suspected to have started as a result of lint in the dryer.  Firefighters battled the flames until 2 p.m.  Weniger said the Wadena County Sheriff and Verndale Police were also on scene to assist.

HARTSDALE , NY - A smoky basement dryer fire forced the evacuation of some residents of a Hartsdale apartment building this morning.  The fire at 120 E. Hartsdale Ave. was reported at 6:03 a.m., the Hartsdale Fire Department said.  Firefighters confined the blaze to the dryer and extinguished it by 6:17 a.m., but smoke from the fire rose to the first floor.  So, some residents were evacuated until firefighters could clear the smoke by opening doors and windows and using fans.  The fire was started by accumulated lint or by contents of the dryer, Hartsdale Deputy Fire Chief F.J. Spinelli said.  Firefighters from Hartsdale, Greenville, Fairview and Scarsdale responded.

LONG GROVE, IL - Dryer lint build-up is being blamed for a fire that destroyed a dryer and caused almost $1,500 worth of damage to a Long Grove home Tuesday.  The Long Grove Fire Protection District was called just before 2 p.m. to a home where they found a lot of smoke when they arrived.  Just before firefighters were going to release water on the fire, the home's sprinkler system kicked on and extinguished the fire in about 15 seconds, according to the fire district.  The remaining hot spots were doused with a hose in 30 seconds.  The laundry room sustained heat and smoke damage and there was minor water damage to the basement directly underneath the laundry room.   The cause of the fire was excessive lint build-up around the dryer's heater exhaust, the district said. The dryer was a total loss.

NATHALIE, VA - A Nathalie home was fully involved when firefighters from four county departments arrived on the scene Wednesday night, according to Triangle Volunteer Fire Chief Rodney Francisco.  When firefighters arrived on scene Wednesday night flames were coming out of the roof, Francisco said.  The fire is suspected to have started in a dryer located in the back of the house.  Firefighters said the house was considered a total loss due to fire and water damage.

CHAPEL HILL, NC - A load of clothes in a dryer ignited a fire that displaced residents of a Chapel Hill home Monday night, authorities said.  Residents reported that the house was filling with smoke but no fire was evident, according to a report from the Chapel Hill Fire Department.  Crews quickly discovered that a dryer in an unfinished basement of the 63-year-old home was the source of smoke.  Firefighters extinguished the fire and removed the dryer, according to the report.

RIB MOUNTAIN, WI - A clothes dryer started a fire that damaged a house in Rib Mountain.  It happened Tuesday afternoon.  A Rib Mountain Fire official on scene said the house sustained heavy smoke and fire damage.  Officials said one woman was home at the time.  She got out of the house safely.  A cat also made it out.  Several units from Rib Mountain Fire and Weston Fire responded to the blaze.  They used several hundred feet of hose to put out the fire because the house is situated in a wooded area away from the main road.

MOBILE, AL - A fire caused about $30,000 in damage today when lint from a clothes dryer ignited, Steve Huffman, Mobile Fire-Rescue Department spokesman, said.  Firefighters were called at 9:54 a.m. to the 300 block of Weinacher Avenue.  When they arrived firefighters saw smoke coming from the laundry room of a one-story house.  The fire was contained in the laundry room, Huffman said.

SAGAMORE HILLS, OH - An early morning fire caused about $20,000 in smoke damage to a Steep Rock Drive home, said Northfield Center-Sagamore Hills Fire District Chief Frank Risko.  Risko said the fire district, with the Macedonia, Northfield Village and Boston Heights fire departments providing "automatic" mutual aid, responded to the Eaton Estates home at about 7 a.m.  "On arrival, we saw smoke coming out of the house. The fire was out," said Risko, adding that the police had already extinguished the fire.  Risko said the fire originated in a clothes dryer in a laundry room between the attached garage and the kitchen.  The family was not able to stay in the home, he said.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA - An overheated dryer caused a fire at a Virginia Beach townhouse Saturday afternoon.  Crews were called to the 3200 block of Creekside Dr. for reports of a structure fire.  Crews arrived minutes later and found a dryer on the second floor of the townhouse on fire.  Firefighters worked quickly and were able to put the fire out in less than 10 minutes.  The townhouse suffered moderate fire damage and heavy smoke damage to the second floor.

ROME, ME - A Wooster Hill Road woman and her four young children escaped without injury Thursday when a fire sparked by a clothes-dryer gutted their home.  Rome Fire Chief Gary Foss said Shannon Wellington and her children, ages 4 to 13, were all home at the time of the fire.  Two of the family's three cats were still missing Thursday evening.  Wellington tried to put the fire out with an extinguisher, Foss said.  "We looked at the dryer and found it started in the back," he said. "The shell is still standing but it's well gutted," Foss said.  The fire spread quickly and smoke and flames were clearly visible from the outside when the first firefighters arrived, Foss said.

LANCASHIRE, UK - A tumble dryer left in use overnight caught on fire and destroyed a garage.  Firefighters were called to the incident on Lichfield Avenue, Morecambe, shortly after 5am yesterday.  A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze had been started by a blocked filter which caused the dryer to overheat.  There was severe damage to garage and contents.

STROUD, UK - A fire that started in a dryer displaced a family on Monday afternoon.  A woman who was inside the Chestnut Ridge home at the time was not injured.  More than a dozen firefighters from South Spring Valley, Nanuet and Pearl River went to the southern Ramapo village shortly after 2:20 p.m.  The fire started upstairs in the laundry room and spread to a bedroom, through the attic and the roof, South Spring Valley Fire Chief Vincent Martuscelli said.  Firefighters cut holes in the roof to bring the fire under control.  The house sustained smoke and water damage, Martuscelli said.

CHESTNUT RIDGE, NY - A fire that started in a dryer displaced a family on Monday afternoon.  A woman who was inside the Chestnut Ridge home at the time was not injured.  More than a dozen firefighters from South Spring Valley, Nanuet and Pearl River went to the southern Ramapo village shortly after 2:20 p.m.  The fire started upstairs in the laundry room and spread to a bedroom, through the attic and the roof, South Spring Valley Fire Chief Vincent Martuscelli said.  Firefighters cut holes in the roof to bring the fire under control.  The house sustained smoke and water damage, Martuscelli said.

BATAVIA, IL - A dryer fire left a home badly burnt on Batavia's west side Thursday morning.  Firefighters were dispatched to the blaze at 8:09 a.m. Thursday.  On arrival, the fire crew found a two-story single family home with part of the first floor well involved with fire.  The laundry room, bedroom, and living room all had extensive fire and smoke damage, according to a press release.  Randy Banker, a Batavia Fire battalion chief, confirmed that the family will have to find temporary housing.  The fire started inside of a dryer and then extended to the rest of the laundry room, the Fire Department said.  Then the blaze spread outside the laundry room and to the remaining rooms on the first floor.  The fire caused $40,000 in structural damages and $20,000 in damages to contents of the house, the press release said.  One firefighter sustained a back injury during the initial fire attack, and was transported to a local hospital for care.

SUMMERHILL, NY - A mobile home in Summerhill was destroyed by a fire Tuesday evening.  The Homer Fire Department was called to Route 90 at 5:48 p.m. after reports of a dryer fire, said Homer Fire Chief Mahlon Irish.  When firefighters arrived, the mobile home was fully engulfed in the fire but its two occupants had escaped safely, Irish said.  The fire was under control by 6:18 p.m., but the structure was a "total loss," Irish said.

EYOTA, MN - The quick reporting of a fire that started in a clothes dryer in an Eyota apartment complex Sunday afternoon probably saved the complex from much worse damage, said Eyota Fire Chief Jeremy Newton.  He said the complex at 11 Madison Ave. N.W. has six to eight units with a laundry room that is accessed from the outside.  Someone smelled smoke about 2 p.m., looked in, saw the fire, called 911 and closed the door, he said.  The fire department put out the fire and helped get smoke out of the building, he said.  Had the person who found the fire not checked, the fire could have been much worse because there was no smoke detector there, Newton said.

WESTFIELD, MA - A basement fire has forced a dozen people from their Westfield home.  Westfield fire officials say that the call came in for around 3:15 p.m. for a fire.  They say that the fire started in a dryer in the basement.  Twelve people were displaced by the fire and they are being helped by the Red Cross.  Two residents were transported to Noble Hospital.  Their injuries were not known.

WATERVILLE, ME - Four adults and three children are alive because smoke detectors in their building alerted them early Monday to escape a fire that left them homeless.  The fire appears to have started in the first-floor laundry room of the two-story, two-apartment building, said fire Lt. John Gromek, who called it "an accidental fire."  About 40 firefighters from Waterville and Winslow battled the fire in frigid temperatures.  Gromek said the fire started in a clothes dryer.  Fire Chief David LaFountain said the insurance company will decide if the house is a total loss.  "From what I've seen, I can't imagine a whole lot being salvaged," he said.

SACRAMENTO, CA - Three children were able to flee a burning home in Sacramento's Oak Park neighborhood on Monday night.  The blaze broke out inside the garage of a house on Mascot Avenue and spread to the roof.  A clothes dryer began smoking and then burst into flames.  No one was injured and fire crews were able to keep the flames from spreading to nearby homes.

NORMAL, IL - Firefighters raced to Sackville Road early last Thursday evening after an unattended tumble-dryer in a basement caught alight and began pouring smoke.  Crews from Bexhill fire station were quickly on the scene and were joined soon afterwards by a turntable unit from Hastings, automatically mobilised because of the height of buildings in Sackville Road.  After firefighters wearing breathing apparatus put out the fire, crews remained on scene for the best part of two hours to ventilate the building, part of which was smoke-logged and which has flats above, and to check that no further hazards remained.

RICHMOND, MN - A dryer fire caused damage to a Richmond home.  A fire was reported at 1:32 p.m. in Luxemburg Township. [The homeowner] said the fire started in the clothes dryer.  She tried to put it out herself with a fire extinguisher but was unsuccessful.  The Chain of Lakes Fire Department, Cold Spring Fire Department and Stearns County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene.

ROCKFORD, IL - A dryer fire left a family of four homeless early Thursday morning and two firefighters were injured in the process of extinguishing the blaze.  Blackhawk firefighters arrived at the one-story house in the 3000 block of Jean Street to find smoke coming out of the front door and flames showing on the back side of the house near the dryer vent.  Firefighters from Blackhawk, New Milford, West Suburban and Stillman Valley battled the fire and the elements for nearly eight hours but were unable to save the house.  The fire originated in a dryer in the basement.  The home was deemed a total loss.

BEXHILL, UK - Firefighters raced to Sackville Road early last Thursday evening after an unattended tumble-dryer in a basement caught alight and began pouring smoke.  Crews from Bexhill fire station were quickly on the scene and were joined soon afterwards by a turntable unit from Hastings, automatically mobilised because of the height of buildings in Sackville Road.  After firefighters wearing breathing apparatus put out the fire, crews remained on scene for the best part of two hours to ventilate the building, part of which was smoke-logged and which has flats above, and to check that no further hazards remained.

BATH, ME - A dryer vent clogged with lint triggered a fire Monday night that has left the occupants of three apartments in Bath without a home.  Bath Fire Chief Steve Hinds said one of the occupants, who called 911 before evacuating his neighbors from the building, "did everything right" and likely minimized the damage to more apartments and possibly prevented injuries.  The man's apartment was gutted by flames.  There was also heavy damage to the adjoining apartments, particularly on the second story and attic spaces.  It took a few hours to stop the fire and Hinds said the last firefighters didn't leave the scene until after 6 a.m. Tuesday.

SULLIVAN, IN - A fire started in a Sullivan house on Thursday.  The fire began at the family's dryer.  Because of that fire, the family has lost nearly everything.  However, the family is thankful for what they have and for their safety.  They did lose a family pet, but no one else was home at the time of the fire.  They're also thankful for their friends, who have been by their side, helping them get back to normal.

PUEBLO, CO - Fire believed to have started with lint in a dryer exhaust system caused an estimated $50,000 damage Friday to a Pueblo West home.  Pueblo West Fire Chief Brian Caserta said the residents called the fire department after noticing smoke rising from heater vents in the floor.  Within minutes, smoke "was billowing from all of the vents," Caserta said.  By the time firefighters arrived from a station just up the street, "there was active fire coming through the floor in the laundry room," he said.  Closer inspection revealed fire throughout the home's crawl space, where the dryer vent is believed to have caught fire.  Caserta said the heaviest damage was to floor joists in the crawl space and interior flooring in the laundry room.

ALBANY, OR - A dryer fire damaged an Albany home Thursday morning.  The fire was reported about 11:15 a.m. at a home in the 2800 block of SE Moraga Street.  Albany fire officials said 19 fire personnel arrived and found smoke coming from the home.  The home, valued at $170,000, sustained about $70,000 damage to the building.  Fire officials said smoke damage was extensive and contributed to loss of contents about $50,000.

BROOKFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI - Two people were displaced Tuesday evening after their dryer caught fire in their Eaton County home.  At 5:44 p.m., the Springport-Clarence Regional Fire Department was dispatched to the home in Brookfield Township.  When firefighters arrived, heavy smoke and flames were showing, Chief Charles Cox said.  The two people in the home were able to escape, Cox said.  "It's a very expensive loss," he said.

AUBURN, GA - An Auburn resident was injured Tuesday, Jan. 10, trying to extinguish a home fire caused by a lint buildup in a clothes dryer.  Communication officers with Barrow County Emergency Services received a 911 call reporting a fire.  Firefighters responded to the scene and found heavy smoke showing from the home.  "Firefighters found moderate fire in the back door of the home," Battalion Chief Mike Stoops said in a news release.  "They made an aggressive interior attack and extinguished the fire quickly.  Firefighters were also able to save two puppies from the fire."  A resident suffered injuries trying to put out the fire.

LOWER PROVIDENCE, PA - An early evening fire that started in a clothes dryer nearly destroyed a three-story home on Windsor Drive Monday night.  The homeowner saw smoke coming from the rear of the dryer and attempted to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, DeFrangesco said.  The Lower Providence, Collegeville, Jefferson and Norristown fire companies responded to the fire along with Lower Providence Ambulance and Plymouth Ambulance. Firefighters used a tall aerial ladder to pour water onto the roof and another ladder truck to put out a fire on the roof of the home.

SHERMAN, TX - Twenty residents are having to find a new place to call home Monday.  It was what some called a nightmare early this morning as a Sherman apartment went up in flames.  The cause of the fire is believed to be from a clogged dryer vent, the fire was so large that the Sherman Fire Department called in aid from four other cities to get it under control.  The building was a total loss.  Twenty people lived in the building that burned, most lost everything they owned.

GLOUCESTER, MA - An overnight fire has driven a Magnolia Avenue family from its home, but Gloucester firefighters responding from West Gloucester station were able to confine the flames to a laundry room in the home.  According to a report from Deputy Fire Chief Steve Aiello, the fire started in a dryer in the laundry room on the first floor.  The house sustained extensive smoke damage, said Aiello, estimated at about $10,000. One responding firefighter reported a minor knee injury, Aiello said.

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, NY - A blaze caused by a dryer sent 60 firefighters scrambling Lafayette Ave. in Bed-Stuy on Sunday afternoon.  According to the New York Fire Department, fire and heavy smoke was reported at 3:09 p.m.  The fire was put out at 3:22 p.m., according to the FDNY. 12 fire units responded to the scene.

COHOES, NY - A Friday afternoon fire was caused by a dryer vent, Mayor John McDonald said.  McDonald said fire crews noticed the dryer vent was behind the fire after extensive damage was caused to the second floor, and water and smoke damaged the floors above and below.  No one was hurt in the blaze, and Fire Chief Joseph Fahd said authorities do not believe anyone was home when the fire started.  The city fire department was aided by firefighters from Green Island, Watervliet and Troy.  National Grid workers cut power to the building.

BARKHAMSTED, CT - The fire at the Solo Pizza restaurant at Mallory Brook Plaza Monday night was caused by a dryer, according to Pleasant Valley Assistant Fire Chief James Shanley.  Shanley said the dryer ignited some lint which then caused the aprons and towels in the dryer to catch fire.  An employee then removed the items and put them on the floor.  The employee, who Shanley did not identify, was taken to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, for burns to his hands.

LA CROSSE, WI - A clothes dryer is to blame for a basement fire on La Crosse's South side.  The La Crosse Fire Department says they arrived at the duplex to find a large amount of smoke coming from the dryer.  They were able to quickly extinguish the fire.  Police say everyone made it out of the apartment, although a 3-year-old child was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.