Dryer Fire Articles 2016-2017

RICHMOND, VA - Four people have been displaced following a house fire in Richmond Monday afternoon.  The incident occurred at 12:40 p.m.  Once on scene, crews found a dryer on fire inside.  No injuries were reported and the fire is now marked under control.

WILMINGTON, NC - The Fire Department wrapped up its investigation into an early morning fire.  Crews were able to extinguish the fire.  Firefighters say excessive lint build up in the vent system is to blame.  The home was destroyed.  The fire department says once a year, if you notice that it’s taking longer than normal for your clothes to dry, clean lint out of the vent pipe or have a dryer lint removal service do it for you.

COLUMBIA, MD - A dryer fire at a Columbia apartment complex displaced seven residents, the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services reported.  Crews responded to the 5300 block of Harpers Farm Road and found fire in an apartment. Officials said the building was evacuated and the blaze placed under control.

LINCOLN COUNTY, WV - A home was destroyed by a fire and it has traffic backed up on Route 34.  The Duval Fire Chief tells WSAZ that it started with a dryer that caught fire in the home.  The Chief said the man suffered some burns to his hands and is being taken to the hospital for treatment.  Traffic on Route 34 near the fire is completely blocked off and backed up for miles as the Hamlin Volunteer Fire Department and Duval Fire Department are still at the scene.

REXBURG, ID - Madison County Fire crews responded to a dryer fire.  "They had a fire in their laundry room.  One of the dryers caught on fire.  There was damage to the dryers and to the walls in the laundry room," said Fire Department Lt. Trevin Ricks.  Ricks says that often lint gets caught in a dryer's air vent, causing the lint to ignite.  "The hot air ignites the lint. It can become an extensive fire," he said.

BATON ROUGE, LA - Firefighters responded to a house fire.  Firefighters arrived on scene to find smoke coming from the home's laundry room.  According to the Baton Rouge Fire Department, the fire was caused by lint accumulated in the dryer's vent.  The department says the home received an estimated $7,500 worth of damages.

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Firefighters responded to a dryer fire in southeast Colorado Springs.  The fire started just after 4:30 p.m. on the third floor.  The Colorado Springs Fire Department tweeted the fire was under control at about 5:15 p.m.  Crews stayed on scene to work on ventilating smoke from the building.

MOUNT WASHINGTON, CA - A fire that started with a dryer in a Mount Washington home quickly spread through the house.  Firefighters responded to a fire that started with a dryers extended into the second-story kitchen of the home, according to Los Angles Fire Department Spokeswoman Margaret Stewart.  It took 31 firefighters to knock down the blaze and stop it from spreading to the attic.

PENTICTON BC, CANADA - A mother and daughter had a bit of a scare late Monday night after a fire started in the dryer.  The fire broke out in the laundry room, setting off the smoke alarm.  Firefighters were quick to respond, pulling the dryer out of the premises and dousing the flames.  There was some smoke damage to the laundry room but fortunately the fire did not spread to the rest of the house, said Deputy Fire Chief Dave Spalding.  Spalding confirmed it was a dryer fire and advised people to clean the lint traps all the time.  He said people should also make sure to clean out their dryer vents twice a year or more.

EAU CLAIRE, WI - Two people were evacuated from their home this evening after their dryer started on fire.  According to Eau Claire Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Matt Jagger, the fire that started in the home was due to clothes over heating in the dryer.  Firefighters put the fire out with a fire extinguisher and pulled the dryer out of the house.

BEND, OR - A clothes dryer fire caused an estimated $25,000 in damage to a home, officials said, noting the need to keep such machines and their hoses clean and free of lint.  Crews responded to the report of smoke coming from a home, said Bend Fire Capt. Scott Wyman.  Firefighters put out the blaze, searched the house and carried two cats to safety.  Losses were estimated at $20,000 to the building and $5,000 worth of contents.  Wyman noted that the leading cause of home clothes dryer fires – more than a third – is failure to clean them, he said.

MANCHESTER, NH - Manchester Fire Alarm received a call for a dryer fire.  When firefighters arrived, they confirmed the fire started in the dryer and that it had extended to the wall, according to District Chief Al Poulin.  Numerous residents were forced to evacuate to safety.  There was about $5,000 worth of damages to the building.

EAST BLOOMFIELD, NY - Emergency crews responded to a home in East Bloomfield for a report of a fire.  Crews responded to the report of a dryer fire.  Crews at the scene tell 13WHAM News the fire started to spread to the wall around the dryer.  There were some volunteers at the nearby firehouse and they were able to get to the scene and stop the fire from spreading further.

WEST HEMPFIELD, PA - An early-morning fire that destroyed a home in West Hempfield Township Saturday appeared to start in the dryer, fire officials said.  "She was doing laundry at 4 a.m.," Jason Sauder, deputy chief of West Hempfield Fire & Rescue, said of the woman living in the home.  Crews were on the scene for about an hour, and the home was a total loss, he said.

MADISON, WI - A fire in a dryer displaced three residents of a Far East Side apartment building, the Madison Fire Department said.  A fire was discovered on the first floor of an apartment building when a collection of lint extended the blaze to the second floor and roof via the venting system, the fire department said.  When firefighters arrived shortly after 2:45 p.m., dark smoke was exiting a chimney stack, said fire department spokeswoman Cynthia Schuster.  Firefighters got on the roof and put out the fire in the dryer vent, Schuster said.  Three people were displaced due to the damage, estimated at $15,000, Schuster said.  The fire department advises residents to clean out dryer vents and hoses as lint can be highly flammable.

NORFOLK, VA - A dryer fire displaced a family in Norfolk.  When crews arrived they saw heavy smoke showing from a two-story home.  The main body of the fire was found in the area of the clothes dryer on the first floor of the home.  Once the fire was located crews were able to swiftly put the fire out.  One man was treated for smoke inhalation and was transported to a local hospital.  The cause of the fire was found to be from the clothes dryer.   The home is uninhabitable at this time.

WRIGHTSVILLE, PA - Four people were displaced for the night after a dryer in their home caught fire, according to Wrightsville Fire Chief Chad Livelsberger.  Livelsberger said the fire started in a dryer in the laundry room, and spread to the adjoining kitchen.  A window was damaged as well.  The chief said the damage should displace the residents.

EUPORA, MS - A home in Eupora is damaged by fire, and firefighters say a dryer sparked the blaze.  The fire started in the kitchen where the washer and dryer were located.  Eupora Fire Chief Mitch Jackson says everyone inside made it out safely.  The blaze caused heavy damage.

SEYMOUR, IN - A fire sparked by a dryer left as many as three families homeless and destroyed two buildings.  The fire started in the second-floor.  Seymour firefighters responded to the scene along with police, who closed off Second Street between Chestnut Street and Indianapolis Avenue.  Two hours after the fire was reported, Fire Chief Brad Lucas said just getting a handle on it.  Lucas called in off-duty firefighters to assist.

DALE CITY, VA - Fire and rescue crews were dispatched to a structure fire in a two-story single family home.  Upon arrival, firefighters observed smoke showing from the home.  As fire and rescue crews made entry, they discovered a dryer on fire that extended into the kitchen.  Firefighters extinguished the fire.  The occupants, displaced by the fire, were home at the time of the fire when the homeowners, who were drying clothes, noticed the dryer emitting smoke and catching fire.  According to the Fire Marshal's Office, preliminary damages are estimated at $20,000. A Building Inspector has posted the home unsafe.

ST. HENRY, IN - A basement fire just before midday today displaced a family.  Units of the St. Henry Volunteer Fire Department were called according to Fire Chief Steve Eckert.  Firefighters who began arriving a minute after they were called found the basement fully involved with flames showing out a west-side basement window and a north-side dryer vent.  Eckert said the fire started in the home's dryer when none of the occupants were present.  The family will be displaced for a while, Eckert said.

KINGSVILLE, ON CANADA - A blaze that ripped through a home was ignited by a clothes dryer, fire officials said.  Kingsville firefighters knocked down a blaze.  Crews were called to the fire around 3 p.m. and had the blaze at the two-storey home under control shortly after arriving.  The blaze caused somewhere between $100,000 to $125,000 in damage, Kingsville fire added.

VIENNA TOWNSHIP, MI - A family with young children and another tenant are without a home the day after Christmas.  The Clio fire chief says the fire started in the dryer vent.  Two Clio Fire Stations, Mount Morris City and Birch Run, showed up to evacuate the building and fight the flames.  The dryer vent had caught fire.  Clio Fire Chief Kerry Paulson says since the dryer vent goes through the outside wall, the flames moved quickly.  "The dryer's got a lot of heat coming out of there, so yeah, just the heat - it'll gradually work though that and it takes off and it goes quick," Paulson said.  Two units now have smoke and water damage.  "You want to make sure you clean out your dryer vent at least once a year," Paulson said.

FREEHOLD, NJ - A man suffered minor injuries after he tried to put out a fire that started in his dryer, according to police.  The fire was called in around 2:15 p.m.at a house on the 100 block of Sheffield Drive, police said.  When firefighters arrived they discovered that a resident in the house had tried to put out a fire that started in the dryer and was burned on his right hand, according to officers.

NEWPORT, IN - A Newport family lost two dogs and a cat as a result of a fire they discovered after arriving home.  Robert Cousino, fire chief with Berlin Township Fire Station 1, explained the dogs were kenneled while the family was away.  The fire started at the clothes dryer.  The fire itself was contained to the laundry room and nearby hallway. The fire caused water lines to burst.  As a result, there is significant water damage throughout the two-story house in addition to the smoke damage, Chief Cousino said.

CHESHIRE, CT - A woman was taken to the hospital as a precaution after a house fire.  Fire Chief Jack Casner said a woman in the home smelled smoke and called 911.  Fire crews responded and observed a dryer on fire in the laundry room.  There was smoke damage on the first floor, Casner said.  The woman was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.  One lane on West Main Street in the area of Cherry Street was initially closed.

LOCKPORT, NY - A homeowner suffered minor injuries while squelching a fire at his residence.  The Niagara County Sheriff's Office fielded a call about a structure fire.  An arriving deputy found the homeowner underneath the trailer, putting out the small fire.  The homeowner said the residence became smoke-filled shortly after he turned on a clothes dryer.  The homeowner suffered burns on his hands and was treated at the scene, according to the sheriff's incident report.  Rapids fire personnel determined the cause of the fire was faulty dryer duct work.

CEDAR GROVE, NJ - Cedar Grove firefighters rescued two cats from a dryer fire at an apartment building.  The fire was contained and extinguished, according to Cedar Grove Fire Chief John Bannon.  The two tenants of the apartment were not home when firefighters arrived, but the two cats were found and brought out safely during a search, Bannon said.  Cedar Grove police and the rescue squad responded with the fire department, along with the Verona Fire Department.  Police closed a portion of Pompton Avenue near the scene Monday.

PLANTATION, FL - A fire left a Broward County family temporarily homeless, but no one — human or animal — was injured.  A Plantation family was displaced after a dryer fire, said Plantation Fire Rescue.  The family, along with their four cats, dog and rabbit were unharmed, rescuers said.

HENRICO, VA - Crews have extinguished a fire sparked by a clothes dryer in a two-story home.  Henrico Fire spokesman Capt. Taylor Goodman said "Firefighters arrived within four minutes to find smoke coming from the bottom of the home and immediately began to investigate at the same time they performed searches to ensure everyone was outside." Goodman said the fire was caused by a dryer and then spread to crawl space via a vent duct.  Goodman said one person was displaced.

KENOSHA, WI - A fire that started inside a dryer displaced a family.  Capt. Jeff Johnson of the Kenosha Fire epartment said the homeowner's two sons had been doing laundry and placed clothing in the dryer when they left to go to the store.  When they returned, they saw smoke, called the fire department, Johnson said.  The fire spread from the basement into first floor, according to Johnson, who said much of the fire, smoke and water damage was confined to the basement.  However, there was also damage to the walls of the first floor.  The sons were able to escape the home safely.  Inside were two dogs, a cat and six lizards.  Johnson said firefighters were able to save all but one dog, which perished in the fire.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA - A Newport News home was damaged by fire Friday morning.  Crews responded to the blaze just before 10 a.m., Cpt. David Lewis said at the scene.  First responding firefighters saw flames coming from the garage that were quickly spreading, Lewis said.  They were able to contain the fire damage to the garage, although some of the home was damaged by smoke, he said.  Investigators believe the fire started in the dryer vent.  Fire officials recommend regularly cleaning out your dryer's lint trap and vent since lint can easily catch fire.

MANCHESTER, NH - An apartment fire that was caused by a dryer displaced 18 residents, firefighters said.  The fire started in a laundry room on the first floor.  The fire spread through the back of the building.  It's unclear when residents will be able to return home.  Firefighters said smoke detectors were working.

AVON, CO - Firefighters successfully put out a dryer fire at the Ritz Carlton.  Eagle River Fire Protection District responded to a fire alarm.  Ritz Carlton employees attempted to put out the flames but were unsuccessful.  Once a hose line was established to the laundry area, the fire was extinguished.  The point of origin was determined to be in a clothes dryer in the laundry room; smoke was also present on the fifth floor due to the nature of the venting system from the laundry.

PALATINE, IL - The fire started in the laundry room of a two-story townhouse.  Firefighters put it out with a dry chemical fire extinguisher.  The dryer fire was fought by 23 firefighters, staffing three engines, two ladder trucks, one rescue quad and three ambulances, which responded to the scene along with one command officer and one fire investigator.

ANDOVER, MA - Fire Chief Michael B. Mansfield reports that Andover Fire Rescue fought a one-alarm house fire for a report of a dryer fire in the home.  On arrival, firefighters found the dryer, its contents, and surrounding items on fire in the laundry room.  The first floor of the home sustained moderate smoke damage and minor water damage.  "We recommend that residents do not leave clothes in the dryer for an extended period of time, especially if they will not be home," Mansfield said.

ROCHESTER, MN - The Rochester Fire Department credited good safety practices for ensuring no one was hurt in a fire that damaged a home.  Firefighters found heavy smoke and a fire in a dryer in the basement of the single-family home, according to a fire department incident report.  Damage was limited to one room and estimated at $5,000, the report said.

IREDELL, NC - A fire that sparked in a dryer caused at least $20,000 in damage to a rental home west of Statesville.  The fire started when the renter attempted to dry a load of laundry at the home.  They were preparing to leave the house with her four children when the fire started about 3 p.m.

SUFFOLK, VA - Two adults and two children are getting help from the Red Cross after a fire heavily damaged their home.  Fire crews were called to the house fire.  The first units arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the back of the home.  It took about a half hour to get the fire under control.  Investigators have determined a clothes dryer sparked the fire.

CHURCH HILL, TN - A Fire Chief and his family are without a home after it caught fire. Captain Frank Vaughn with the fire department says the fire started in the dryer and quickly spread through the upper level of the home.  "All of their personal belongings is a loss.," Captain Vaughn said.

SAN ANTONIO, TX - A family is trying to salvage what they can after a fire damaged their home.  Firefighters say the fire started in the dryer.  The family says they do have insurance on the home.  For the next few days they will stay with family members.  But for the long term, they have no place to stay.

HILLCREST, NY - Multiple emergency crews responded to a house fire.  According to Hillcrest Fire Chief Rick Larson, a dryer caught fire.  Broome County Sheriff's Deputy Marc Ayers was the first responder on the scene.  "I went upstairs, there was fire between the dryer and the washer," Ayers said. "I knocked the fire down with my extinguisher, tried to go up two or three more times, but the smoke was too thick." According to Larson, fire crews were able to knock down what remained of the fire.

JACKSON, WY - According to Fire Marshal Kathy Clay, the laundry room was completely engulfed in flame when firefighters arrived.  The fire started behind the dryer, which was in use at the time of the fire.  Clay advised homeowners to keep the area behind dryers clean of lint build-up and combustibles.  She suggested frequent cleaning around dryers and using them only when someone is present in the home.

LIVINGSTON, NJ - Livingston Fire Department contained a dryer fire to only the second floor of a residence on Kensington Lane.  Fire crews extinguished the fire, vented the residence and secured the utilities.  According to Livingston Fire Chief Christopher Mullin, there was smoke damage throughout the entire residence.

MT. JULIET, TN - A road has closed in Mt. Juliet as fire crews work at the scene of a house fire.  The incident happened on West Division Street.  Authorities said the street was closed at the county line while crews worked at the scene.  Officials on scene said it was a dryer fire.  The home received smoke and water damage.

OXNARD, CA - Fire crews responded to a structure fire, officials said.  Fire officials said the blaze was located in a dryer.  Lint from the dryer had caught fire, authorities said.  An Oxnard Fire Department spokesman said the home sustained smoke damage and crews were able to keep the flames from spreading far into the structure.

FARGO, ND - A reminder to keep your clothes dryer free from lint.  Early Saturday morning, residents of an apartment had to evacuate due to a fire burning inside a dryer.  The Fargo Fire Department extinguished it.  They found the fire was caused by a build-up of lint and excessive heat.  According to the National Fire Protection Association, the leading cause of home clothes dryer and washer fires is failure to clean them.  It says make sure to clean the lint before or after each load of laundry, and turn the dryer off when you leave home or go to bed.

FORRESTON, IL - A fire official said the fire which destroyed the home started in the clothes dryer.  Forreston Fire Chief Stuart Meyers said the home was a total loss.  "It was fully engulfed when we got there," he said.  The couple and their five children were home when the fire started but escaped safely, Meyers said.  Firefighters from the Mt. Morris, Polo, Leaf River, Byron, and Shannon Fire Departments assisted, he said.

PLAINVIEW, TX - The blaring sound of smoke detectors is being credited with awaking a sleeping family, giving them time to skirt past flames shooting from the kitchen as they scurried to safety.  "They were all asleep upstairs when the smoke detectors wnet off," explains Plainview Fire Marshal Philip Mize.  Mize said the fire was sparked by lint in the dryer vent.  The flames gutted the apartment's kitchen and caused heat and smoke damage to the entire residence.  An adjacent apartment also received smoke damage.  Damage was estimated to be at least $25,000.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA - Fire investigators say a dryer sparked a house fire in Virginia Beach early Tuesday morning.  Crew responded to the 5000 block of Blackwater Road to find an active fire in the garage area of the house.  The damage to the garage was extensive, according to the fire department.

CULPEPPER, VA - A woman and her 4-year-old daughter died during a house fire, according to Culpeper County Volunteer Fire Department Co.1 first assistant chief Jr. Perryman.  The fire victims were found on the second floor of the home located in the town of Culpeper off Orange Road, according to Perryman.  Culpeper County fire and EMS companies were dispatched to the blaze at 10:48 p.m.  In addition to Co. 1, Salem Volunteer Fire Department (Co. 8) assistant chief James Feaganes assisted and described the scene as "a significant volume of fire and smoke coming from the structure." Perryman believes a dryer caused the deadly fire.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL - A clothes dryer caught fire and caused about $2,000 worth of damage inside a Hoffman Estates house, fire officials there said.  Firefighters were called just before 10 p.m.  Residents of the bi-level home had self-evacuated, according to Hoffman Estates Fire Capt. Wayne Rothbauer.  Once inside, firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, which was mainly contained to the dryer and utility closet on the home's lower level.  While Rothbauer said there was some smoke damage, the residents were allowed to return to their homes.

GREENCASTLE, IN - A fire at a home on Meadow Drive concluded a busy afternoon for Greencastle firefighters.  A call came of the structure fire.  Crews arrived to find a fire in a dryer in the basement and all five occupants already evacuated.  A total of 11 firefighters on three trucks responded to the scene.  Capt. Kenneth Shepherd estimated damage at about $2,500 to the interior from smoke damage and $500 on destroyed contents.

SASKATOON, SK CANADA - Fire crews were able to quickly put out flames coming from a dryer in the basement of a Saskatoon apartment building.  The Saskatoon Fire Department was called.  Crews encountered heavy smoke at the front door, and found the dryer on fire in the basement.  Everyone inside the building had evacuated.  No one was hurt.  A fire investigator said the fire began accidentally.  Damage is estimated at $4,000.

TAYLOR, AZ - Lint built up in a dryer vent caused a mobile home to burn.  One person was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation.  Suppression efforts lasted approximately three hours with crews returning to the scene several times to check the property and ensure that nothing was left smoldering.  An initial determination is that it was an accidental fire.  The dryer vent was the cause due to the vent being restricted.

SASKATOON, SK CANADA - An early-morning dryer fire sent a family pet running for help, according to the Saskatoon Fire Department.  The fire department was called.  Firefighters saw smoke coming from the building, and all the people were waiting safely outside.  However, the family dog was nowhere to be found.  Firefighters focused their attack on the basement laundry area, and were able to stop the flames.  The dog was found hiding, uninjured, in a shelving unit.  Firefighters suspect the blaze started due to a buildup of lint in the dryer. The department reminds the public that the lint trap, and ducts should be cleaned periodically.  The fire caused $40,000 damage.

HAMPTON, VA - Fire crews responded for a dryer on fire in an apartment on Twin Lakes Circle, battalion commander H. Jeffery Bartgis said.  The fire was in the second-story apartment.  Three people in that apartment, a woman and her two children, got out before crews arrived, Bartgis said.  The fire was contained to that room and did not reach into the apartment above, he said.

PAWTUCKET, RI - Officials say a house fire in Pawtucket has left at least six people displaced.  Firefighters responded to the scene Monday afternoon for a report of smoke in the house.  Capt. Dave Cairrao says crews discovered the dryer ablaze in the basement.  He says the inferno left the home uninhabitable.  A firefighter was taken to a hospital for possible smoke inhalation.

MAUGANSVILLE, MD - An overheated dryer vent caused a fire that injured two firefighters and displaced several residents, the Maryland Fire Marshal's Office said.  Firefighters responded to find several three-story townhouses ablaze.  The accidental fire started by way of a dryer vent that caused surrounding exterior materials to catch fire and spread to the attic areas, causing an estimated $400,000 in damages, including $370,000 to the structure and another $30,000 in contents, investigators said in a news release.  Maugansville Fire Chief Brandon Grinder said Sunday that the blaze displaced a total of six adults, three children and two animals.

PALM DESERT, CA - An adult and a child were displaced today by a dryer fire that caused around $25,000 in damage, authorities said.  County firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the side of a single-story home.  Firefighters were able to contain the fire, which caused an estimated $25,000 in damage, in the home's laundry room, said April Newman of the Riverside County Fire Department.  However, smoke and heat damage spread to the kitchen, Newman said.

NAPERVILLE, IL - An apartment building clothes dryer fire was brought under control but left one unit uninhabitable, Naperville Fire Chief Andrew Dina said.  Firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm call and saw heavy smoke coming from the first floor of a multifamily residence, Dina said in a news release on the incident.  Residents were evacuated, and the fire extinguished in 15 minutes.  The unit was deemed unihabitable, and the residents relocated.

NEWPORT, TN - Two Newport residents' sustained injuries after they extinguished a clothes dryer that caught on fire.  Cocke County Sheriff Deputies and Cocke County Firefighters were dispatched.  Upon their arrival, they were able to successfully put the fire out, and removed the dryer from the home.  [The residents] sustained injuries and were transported to the Newport Medical Center Emergency Room by First Call EMS.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Firefighters say a dryer fire has displaced a family in Albemarle County.  Firefighters say they arrived with moderate smoke conditions coming from the eaves.  Firefighters located the fire in the dryer, and it was quickly extinguished.  The Fire Marshal's office estimates damages from the fire at $50,000.

LAWRENCEBURG, KY - A fire caused significant damage to a duplex and killed a man's pet snake.  City Fire Chief Bobby Hume said the fire started in a dryer, located in the lower level of the duplex.  Chief Hume said the home sustained significant smoke damage, and the downstairs also sustained water damage.

PANORAMA CITY, CA - A fire sparked by a clothes dryer damaged a house in the Panorama City area.  Firefighters sent to the single-story home extinguished the flames in 16 minutes, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.  A 73-year-old woman who lives in the house was "shaken" by the experience, but was not injured, said LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey.

TOPEKA, KS - Investigators are blaming a clothes dryer for a fire.  Firefighters say smoke and flames were coming from the house when they arrived.  They made sure everyone made it out and were able extinguish the blaze quickly, the fire department said.  Investigators say the fire was an accident, causing over $12,000 in damages. Another $6,000 worth of its contents were also damaged.

PORT ALBERNI, BC, CANADA - A fire at a house was likely caused by a dryer, according to Port Alberni Fire Department Deputy Chief Wes Patterson.  The fire "started with the lint in the dryer," said Patterson.  Built up lint is a common cause of dryer fires.  "The crew arrived on scene and found heavy smoke on the main floor." While the house sustained smoke damage, firefighters had yet to do a full assessment of the structure.

PUNXSUTAWNEY, PA - Punxsutawney firefighters, along with Punxsutawney Borough Police officers, arrived in time to keep a dryer fire from spreading to the rest of a home on Sunday.  According to Punxsutawney Fire Department Assistant Chief Doug McAfoos, Punxsutawney firefighters were called to the scene of a reported dryer fire.  According to McAfoos, smoke was showing from the eaves and the rear windows of the structure.  McAfoos said damage to the house was caused by smoke.

KAYSVILLE, UT - A home at the north end of Kaysville was deemed a total loss after the residents' clothes dryer caught fire.  Kaysville firefighters responded to the call to find a "room and contents" fire, Acting Battalion Chief Kori Taylor said.  Although the fire was out within about five minutes of the fire crew's arrival, the damage was extensive and the home was a total loss.  The majority of clothes dryer fires are caused by a buildup of lint in the machine.  Taylor said it's important for people to periodically take the back off the machine and clean around the drum and the dryer vent hose.  Cleaning the lint filter that's accessible from the front of the machine does not remove the lint that collects out of sight inside the dryer.

ROME, GA - A dryer caught fire around 9 a.m. Tuesday in a home with one woman inside, according to Rome-Floyd County Fire Marshal Johnie Evans.  The American Red Cross was called in to assist the woman, he added.  Evans said the fire burned some of the house's floor and caused smoke damage to the rest of the home.

ABINGDON, VA - An Abingdon family escaped a house fire Sunday afternoon.  The local fire department was dispatched, when fire crews arrived, the home was in flames and the family had escaped.  The fire started in the laundry room dryer, according to fire officials.  The Abingdon Fire Department was assisted by the Meadowview Fire Department and the Washington County Life Saving crew.

FORT WAYNE, IN - Seven people, including five children, escaped a fire that started in a dryer.  Crews arrived and encountered one of the residents who said everyone had gotten out of the house and that the fire began in a dryer.  The house had fire and water damage and moderate smoke damage.

CHATTANOOGA, TN - The Chattanooga Fire Department responded to a residential fire on Sheridan Court just before 1 p.m.  When firefighters arrived, they discovered smoke coming from the two-story structure.  Firefighters deployed hose lines and made a fast attack.  The fire was contained to the laundry area.  The tenant stated she smelled smoke and heard a smoke alarm.  When she went to investigate, she saw flames coming out of the dryer.

EVANSDALE, IA - A clothes dryer was to blame for a fire that destroyed a home early Sunday.  Fire officials said they arrived to find flames coming out of windows, the roof and doors.  Firefighters from Evansdale, Gilbertville, Raymond and and Waterloo extinguished the blaze.  Fire officials said the home appears to be a total loss, but no injuries were reported.

MAPLETON, ME - The residents of a house in Mapleton have lost their dog and home in a fire that was caused by a dryer.  The fire started around noon Thursday and resulted in a total loss, said Mapleton fire chief Rich Wark.  No one was injured at the home.  Their dog who was at home died in the blaze, Wark said, adding that the home was not insured.  It took a team of 20 firefighters to extinguish the fire, Wark said.

LONGVIEW, WA - An apartment fire damaged two units Wednesday, but residents at one point feared the damage would be much worse.  While fire units were responding to the scene, the crew was told that a person was holed up in an upstairs unit and would not evacuate, reported Longview Police & Fire.  Upon arrival firefighters reported smoke from the attic, indicating a possible attic fire.  Fire crews immediately directed their effort to evacuate the occupant, using forcible entry to open her door and escort her across the street to an area of safety.  Then they put out the blaze.  Fire investigators determined that the fire started in the clothes dryer vent and spread upstairs and into the attic through a vertical soffit.  The two damaged units were determined uninhabitable.

CHESTERFIELD, VA - Nearly a dozen residents were forced from their apartments overnight after a dryer fire in Chesterfield County.  The fire happened in a second-floor unit at the Grand Oak Forest apartments.  Firefighters said the sprinkler system helped put out the fire, but there is some water damage to three of those units.

LINCHBURG, VA - Fire crews respond to a dryer fire at Timber Ridge II apartments.  Three people are displaced after an appliance fire damaged the apartment complex.  Emergency crews responded after reports of heavy black smoke coming from an apartment.  The fire was contained to a dryer in an apartment on the third floor.  The unit suffered fire and water damage.  Five apartments were damaged by water.

BELLEVILLE, ONTARIO - Alarms were going off at a home on the east end street and residents noticed smoke.  They quickly located which house had a problem and banged on the door to get residents out.  It turned out that a clothes dryer had caught fire while the people living at 306 Dufferin were out walking their dog.  The Belleville fire department had the fire out quickly, but there was smoke damage throughout the 2 storey house.  Damage is estimated at $25,000.

TEMPLE, ME - A fire in a clothes dryer was to blame for damaging a single story home.  Fire fighters were called to the home.  Temple and the mutual aid towns of Farmington, Wilton, Strong, New Sharon and Chesterville were called to respond. The fire started in the clothes dryer and spread into the laundry room.  The fire, which produced heavy black smoke, was soon extinguished.  The home is "not livable," True said, due to the destroyed laundry room at one end of the home and heavy smoke damage throughout.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL - A fire that started in a clothes dryer in a single-family home caused an estimated $15,000 in damages Saturday night, fire officials said.  Hoffman Estates firefighters arrived on the scene to find smoke coming from an open overhead garage door, officials said.  Firefighters extinguished the fire after responding with 26 firefighters.  Officials determined lint build up in the clothes dryer venting hose and piping started the fire.

EASTON, ME - A call came in with a report of a dryer fire; the Fire Marshal's office has since confirmed that was the cause of the blaze.  When the Easton Fire department arrived on scene the home was fully involved.  Fire Chief Kim White says the house is likely a total loss.  There were no injuries in the fire.  The dogs that live in the home escaped and are accounted for, there was a family cat that has not been found, but is believed to have escaped the fire.

EAST ST. LOUIS, IL - Firefighters rescued a man from fire in a two-story apartment building.  Firefighters responded to a call of a man trapped, according to East St. Louis Assistant Fire Chief Derrick Burns.  The man was unresponsive and unconscious, Burns said.  Paramedics arrived and took over CPR, and the man regained consciousness, Burns said.  Burns said the fire started in a clothes dryer in the basement and was contained in that area.

KALAMAZOO, MI - Several people are displaced after a dryer caught fire at a home in the 1500 block of East Stockbridge Avenue.  Kalamazoo Public Safety says an officer broke a window to gain entry into the building, then used a fire extinguisher to attack the flames.  Investigators say the fire was contained to the laundry room.  The home suffered smoke damage.

GROVETOWN, GA - One family managed to escape an early morning house fire in Grovetown.  A couple and their four kids were inside at the time of the fire.  The woman helped pull her husband from the burning home, and their kids also made it out, but one person was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.  Investigators believe the fire started in the dryer in the laundry room, but they aren't sure what sparked it just yet.

ERLANGER, KY - A woman says her dogs saved her life when a fire broke out in her home.  Firefighters said they were called to find heavy smoke coming from the basement of a home.  The homeowner told WLWT News 5's Amanda Kelley that she was awakened by her dogs Tucker and Earl, who licked her face until she woke up and noticed the smoke.  Firefighters said a dryer was the source of the blaze.

CANTON, OH - The American Red Cross was assisting five people with housing after a dryer fire damaged a rental house.  Firefighters responded about 2:15 p.m. to 923 10th St. NW, said Acting Battalion Chief Joe Burns.  They contained the fire to the basement, where the dryer was located, and the first floor.  Burns said two families lived in the house, a man and a couple with two children.

OGDENSBURG, NY - A house was extensively damaged, five people were left homeless and their cat died as a result of a fire.  The blaze started because an improperly ventilated dryer.  There were no injuries to firefighters or the two adults and three children living in the building.  The family's cat died.

APPLETON, WI - The Appleton Fire Department is reminding people to keep lint traps clean after a dryer fire.  Firefighters were called to a home for the report of smoke in the basement and flames coming from the dryer.  The cost of damage is estimated at $2,000.  "Please be vigilant about cleaning and properly maintain your clothes dryer and the surrounding area," reads a statement from the fire department.

LOWELL, OH - Firefighters were called to control a house fire on Lowell Island.  The heat was too much Chief Josh Harris said, so he called in help from surrounding departments.  Firefighters said they saw flames and smoke as they arrived on scene they arrived on the scene.  The firefighters on scene estimated about 20 thousand dollars in damage.  Officials believe the cause was an overheated dryer.

GUYMON, OK - Early detection and quick action kept a Guymon home from being destroyed by fire.  "Upon first fire unit arrival, found heavy smoke condition coming from the front door and from beneath the closed garage door," stated Assistant Fire Chief Grant Wadley.  Cause of the fire was a dryer in the garage and began to extend to the back wall of the garage.  The dryer and the clothes inside the dryer were a complete loss.  Clothes dryer fires are common and can be prevented by simply checking to make sure the vent hose is unobstructed, and lint trap is cleaned between every use.

CUMBERLAND, MD - Fire caused by a natural gas powered dryer heavily damaged a residence.  The Cumberland Fire Department and several volunteer fire companies responded to the fire.  No one was at home when firefighters arrived following a 911 call.  First-arriving city units found smoke and fire in the basement.  Cumberland Fire Lt. W. Shannon Adams, the city's fire marshal, said lint got near the dryer's pilot light, starting the fire.  He estimated damage at $275,000 to the building and its contents.

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND - Working smoke alarms and an evacuation plan helped save the lives of six people.  Three fire crews were called to a house fire.  Fire Service spokesman Daryl Ball said the fire was "going well" when firefighters arrived.  An investigation on Sunday morning confirmed the fire was caused by a clothes dryer.  Six people at the scene who suffered smoke inhalation.  Fire risk management officer Mike Gaskin said the laundry was "totalled" and the majority of the house was damaged by smoke, including the roof.

WILMINGTON, DE - OTTAWA ON, CANADA - Ottawa firefighters were at Flewellyn Rd. late Saturday night after receiving a report from tenants of a dryer fire.  A 911 call stated there was smoke visible in the home, and when fire crews arrived they discovered a fire behind the dryer and in the walls.  Crews remained on scene, attempting to bring the fire under control.

WILMINGTON, DE - A woman died while evacuating a day care center after a fire erupted in a clothes dryer, fire and medical official said.  The woman was helping people get out of the building when she was injured near the front door, said Wilmington Fire Department spokesman James Jobes.  Medical responders arrived and determined she was in cardiac arrest, Jobes said.  She was taken to Christiana Hospital, where she died.  All of the children were evacuated to the backyard of Hercules Plaza, said Scott Johnson, building manager at the facility.

BOWLING GREEN, KY - Fire heavily damaged a historic 1908 farmhouse Wednesday that once sat on a 200-acre farm fronting Smallhouse Road.  The fire started in a dryer.  Bowling Green firefighters were called to the home at 9:30 a.m., Bowling Green Fire Department spokeswoman Marlee Boenig said.  Firefighters were told that the fire was a dryer fire, and is under routine investigation, Boenig said.

FORT ATKINSON, IA - A house in Fort Atkinson was destroyed in a fire Wednesday.  Fort Atkinson firefighters were using a ladder truck to spray in to the second-floor of the burning home.  Fort Atkinson fire officials said the home was a total loss caused by a clothes dryer.

CHEEKTOWAGA, NY - Multiple fire units were called to an apartment fire in Cheektowaga where there were reports of two children trapped inside on the second floor.  As firefighters arrived, they learned a mother and her 2-year-old child had managed to escape the blaze with the help of police.  Paramedics rushed the mother and her child to the hospital for treatment as firefighters got to work fighting the flames.  Fire investigators believe a dryer sparked this fire.

BURLINGTON, NC - Almost $100,000 in estimated damages -- all because of a dryer.  Burlington Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael Willets said a dryer caused a fire at a home on Westchester Drive.  Willets said two children and two adults were inside the home when the fire started but all four were able to escape the home without injuries.  Lt. Jay Mebane, who works in fire prevention for the Burlington Fire Department, said dryer fires are the second most common type of residential fire, second to cooking fires.

FORT WAYNE, IN - A dryer fire inside a north-side apartment claimed the life of a pet cat.  Firefighters were called to an apartment on a report of a fire there.  Investigators said the fire started in a dryer and filled the apartment with smoke.  The owner was able to escape from the apartment unharmed, though a cat was killed, officials said.  The apartment sustained smoke damage.

PEORIA, AZ - Peoria Fire-Medical crews responded to a reported house fire.  Upon arrival, crews found a dryer fire with smoke being ventilated through the roof vent.  Crews checked for extension in the walls and attic using the Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC cam) and found the fire had not spread.  The damage was contained to the dyer itself with some damage to the wall behind the dryer.

FORNEY, TX - One person was airlifted to a Dallas-area hospital following a dryer fire.  The Forney Fire Department responded to the Gateway Cedar apartments on Gateway Boulevard for a dryer on fire in an apartment located in the southwest building.  An individual in the apartment suffered smoke inhalation and was taken by CareFlite helicopter to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas.  The fire was quickly extinguished and reportedly contained to only one unit in the building.

PARIS, WI - A fire that started inside a dryer. forced two teens to escape their home.  Firefighters were called to the blaze on the second floor, according to Paris Fire Chief Roland Iwen.  "The fire then started the washing machine on fire and then spread to the walls," he said.  In addition to fire damage, the home incurred smoke damage on both floors.  The damage was estimated at $50,000, he said.

SALEM, VA - Twenty-three residents were evacuated from Brookdale Assisted Living after a dryer caught fire inside a laundry room, according to a Salem Fire & EMS press release.  Crews found heavy smoke in the basement when they arrived.  The fire had been contained to the laundry room by the building's sprinklers, but firefighters had to work for two hours to extinguish the flames and remove smoke from the building.

KEARNEY, NE - The Kearney Volunteer Fire Department was called to an apartment house because of a structure fire in the basement.  The State Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire started in a plugged dryer vent hose.  The fire extended out the laundry room window, up the outside wall, up the eave and into the attic space where it burned between the main floor and basement apartment, said Terry Eirich, fire inspector for the city of Kearney.  Firefighters estimated damage to the structure and its contents at $50,000.

NORTH BEND, OR - Bystanders used a ladder to rescue 2 children from a third-story apartment as firefighters responded to battle the flames, the North Bend Fire Department said.  Firefighters said the children's mother handed them out the window to an "unknown hero." A firefighter then rescued the children's mother.  The children, ages 6 and 8, were treated and released from Bay Area Hospital.  Their mother was taken by helicopter.  The fire department described the woman's condition as serious.  Investigators traced the fire to the area of the dryer and suspect the fire started in the lint trap.  The fire did about $20,000 in damage to the building and destroyed $20,000 in other property.

FLORISSANT, MO - Residents at are back in their rooms after being evacuated Thursday afternoon because of a fire.  Investigators said the fire began in a dryer in a basement laundry room.  Smoke spread throughout the facility, forcing approximately 100 residents to be evacuated.  At least one worker suffered a minor injury trying to help evacuate the residents.

BALDWIN, MI - Burned up walls, and a scorched appliance.  Firefighters say a dryer caused the damage.  Firefighters say a woman tried to put the fire out by herself before calling 911.  Crews were able to get there quickly and put it out.  "Had she not called 911 as quick as she did, we wouldn't have been able to contain it to one room,"  says Webber Fire Chief Aaron Summers.

UPPER MERION, PA - A dryer fire drew 40 firefighters from several fire companies to the Rebel Hill section of Upper Merion.  As smoke drifted from the single family home damage appeared extensive, noted Upper Merion deputy fire marshal Bill Daywalt.  "The first arriving unit at upgraded the call immediately to a working structure fire and at the fire was placed under control," Daywalt explained.

WINNIPEG MB, CANADA - Five people escaped from a house fire in the 700 block of Garwood Avenue.  A police spokesman said the fire began in a dryer in the home's basement.  None of the occupants required hospitalization, though a few suffered from minor smoke inhalation.

NAUGATUCK, CT - Four residents were displaced from their home after a fire Saturday morning.  The fire began in the dryer, said Fire Capt. Jason Alford.  Firefighters responded and were able to keep the fire from spreading to other floors.  The family has been temporarily displaced from their condo due to smoke and water damage, Alford said.

KALAMAZOO, MI - It took firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish a fire that started in a clothes dryer.  Firefighters discovered the fire had already spread into the kitchen area of the home, and public safety officers encountered heavy smoke and fire conditions inside.  Officers were able to quickly knock down and extinguish the fire.

EASTON, PA - A dryer fire led to extensive damage in an apartment and the temporary evacuation of the entire building.  The tenant said he was doing laundry in his apartment when the dryer, stacked atop the washer, caught fire.  "Underneath the bottom of the dryer, I saw flames and the filter was melting," he said.  The Easton Fire Department had the fire quickly extinguished upon arrival, Capt. Henry Hennings said.  "The sprinkler system kept things pretty much in check until we got here," he said. "A lot of water damage, though." Hennings confirmed the fire started in the dryer." The second-floor apartment sustained flame, heat and smoke damage, and firefighters reported some smoke in at least four other apartments.

CALDWELL, ID - The Caldwell Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire that destroyed a home.  Fire crews responded to a fire on Saturday as the fire was upgraded to a 2-alarm one.  The fire involved 50 percent of the structure and the home was a total loss.  The fire cause was determined to be a fire that started in a clothes dryer that spread to the structure.

ROME, NY - The fire was caused by a blocked dryer vent, according to fire officials.  Nine people from two families were displaced when a fire started on the second floor.  The cause is "accidental in nature," said Fire Lt. David Zakala.  "Definitely not suspicious."  The dryer was located against a wall behind the kitchen, and it vented into a crawl space above the kitchen.  Five people from the second floor apartment were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

GREER, SC - Firefighters are on the scene of a house fire, according to Lake Cunningham Fire Department dispatchers.  According to the daughter of the homeowner, the fire started in the dryer.  Heavy smoke poured from the home for over an hour.  The home is a total loss, according to officials.

PORT ALBERNI, BC, CANADA - A clothes dryer caught fire in the basement of a Redford Street home.  Three trucks from the Port Alberni Fire Department responded.  One lane of Redford Street was expected to reopen after crews assessed the rest of the house and cleared it of smoke, PAFD deputy fire chief Wes Patterson said.  Patterson cautioned people to make sure their dryer lint trap is cleaned out after every load of laundry, and that hoses are also cleaned regularly.  "Dryers need to be cleaned on a regular basis," he said.

BEAUMONT, TX - About 40 animals have died in a fire at the Humane Society of Southeast Texas.  Investigators say it was caused by a dryer.  Capt. Brad Penisson with the Beaumont Fire Department says the fire broke out in a room where the washer and dryer are housed.  Captain Brad Penisson says about 40 animals died of smoke inhalation.  At any given time about 200 cats and dogs are housed here.

BEAUMONT, TX - About 40 animals have died in a fire at the Humane Society of Southeast Texas.  Investigators say it was caused by a dryer.  Capt. Brad Penisson with the Beaumont Fire Department says the fire broke out in a room where the washer and dryer are housed.  Captain Brad Penisson says about 40 animals died of smoke inhalation.  At any given time about 200 cats and dogs are housed here.

EUGENE, OR - A dryer fire in the basement of the All Seasons Residential Care Facility resulted in the evacuation of 22 residents. Eugene-Springfield Fire personnel received a call about a fire at the facility, Battalion Chief Leo Giles said at the scene. At least six fire engines and EMS vehicles responded. Smoke originated in the basement, but the smell permeated the two stories above. Parishioners and staff at the nearby First Church of the Nazarene assisted residents during the temporary displacement, according to Giles.

YEOVIL, SOMERSET UK - Firefighters extinguished a fire that was caused by a dryer. A fire service spokesman said: "On arrival crews confirmed this was a tumble dryer on fire in the kitchen of the property. "The fire spread to a utility area and there was severe fire damage to the utility room and severe smoke damage to the remainder of the property." The fire is the fourth to have been caused by a tumble dryer in the Yeovil area in the last two months.

MEMPHIS, TN - The Memphis Fire Department responded to a fire Monday afternoon. When firefighters arrived to the house fire, they reported smoke visible from the one-story home and were able to contain the fire, the fire department said. MFD said the home did not have a working smoke alarm and that a total worth of damage to the home was valued at $40,000 and $60,000 in contents lost due to the fire. According to MFD, the cause of the fire was a dryer.

GREENWICH, CT - Firefighters made quick work of a dryer fire that erupted in a two-family home. It was about 1:20 p.m. when firefighters were dispatched to the home where a resident saw smoke coming from a second-floor window, according to Greenwich Deputy Fire Chief Tom Nixon. The fire was contained to the dryer, however, the second floor was damaged by smoke, Nixon said.

SHERMAN, TX - A dryer vent is to blame for Friday's fire. The fire started at a duplex on Park Place. When firefighters arrived, flames were coming out of two windows on the side of the house. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames. "They are still doing some hot spots inside," Sherman Chief Danny Jones said. "It's going to be substantial damage, but we dont know if it's completely destroyed."

MARTINSVILLE, VA - A Martinsville home was severely damaged Wednesday by a fire that began in a clothes dryer. Martinsville Fire Chief Ted Anderson said that when he arrived on the scene, he could see flames coming from one of the windows. "The damage was more significant than what it looked like on the outside," Anderson said. There was actually heavy involvement in two rooms. The smoke and heat traveled throughout the whole structure." Due to the heavy smoke damage, Anderson said, the home will not be habitable for some time.

SILVER SPRING, MD - Firefighters said a smoke alarm helped alert two adults and a child to a house fire that started after a clothes dryer overheated. One of the adults was taken to an area hospital for non life-threatening injuries, according to Pete Piringer, a spokesman with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. The estimated cost of damage to the home was $135,000. Authorities said they've responded in recent weeks to a number of fires that have involved dryers. They recommended that people clean the inside of a dryer, along with the area around them at least once a year. Firefighters said that if the area is not cleaned, there is a chance that a large amount of lint can build up and when a dryer is used the heat it creates can ignite the lint.

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA - A family of three escaped injury after lint in a clothes dryer trap and ventilation hose ignited and gutted a $600,000 Rancho Santa Margarita house. But the family's dog and cat died in the blaze. Orange County Fire Authority personnel arrived to find a two-story, three-bedroom home fully engulfed. Lint should be cleaned from a dryer trap each time it is used, he said, and the ventilation hose should be checked regularly to avoid build-up of flammable lint.

HENRICO, VA - A family of four was displaced after their dryer caught on fire. When crews arrived on scene, they found smoke coming from the back of the building. Crews said they found a fire coming from a dryer on the first floor of the apartment complex. Fire officials say dryer fires peak in January due to winter clothes and the lint they produce.

STAMFORD, CT - Though tenants had to wait outside for a bit as firefighters did their work, nobody was hurt after a dryer caught fire in a 12-story high rise. Fire Capt. Michael Terenzio said that the fire started in a dryer on the third floor. "The third floor was evacuated, and it looks like the damage was confined, except for, obviously, smoke damage," said Terenzio. As a precaution, firefighters recommend regularly cleaning highly flammable dryer lint out of traps and ducts.

PRENTON, MERSEYSIDE UK - A man was treated for smoke inhalation after attempting to put out a tumble dryer fire. Firefighters were called and the man was assessed at the scene by paramedics. Firefighters ventilated the property and carried out a home fire safety check before fitting two smoke alarms. They remained at the scene for around 40 minutes.

STATESVILLE, NC - A fire, caused by a dryer, damaged a western Iredell County house and left two families without a place to live. Fire damage was largely contained to the laundry room, said West Iredell Fire Chief Jerry Houston. Houston said damage to the structure was estimated at $50,000. West Iredell, Statesville Fire Engine 2 and Monticello fire departments, and the Iredell County Rescue Squad, responded.

NUNEATON, UK - A warning is being issued to not leave appliances on while out following a major blaze. A house fire has occurred in the Caldwell area of the town. The cause of the blaze was a tumble dryer which had been left on while the residents where out. The property suffered extensive damage with the kitchen, utility area and stairs destroyed, and the smoke and flames even reached to upstairs bedrooms, such was the intensity. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, which sent three crews to the emergency, say this is the second tumble dryer blaze in a week and it wants to appeal to people to keep appliance off when out as well as night time.

STAMFORD, CT - A family is without a home after a fire destroyed part of their condo in Stamford. The fire broke out last night on Seaside Avenue. Fire officials say it started in the dryer and then spread to other parts of the basement. The Red Cross is now helping the family of three and their three cats...

ERIE, PA - A dryer fire this evening heavily damaged a Franklin Terrace apartment building. The fire began in the dryer near the kitchen and spread to the kitchen and to the building's exterior, Erie Deputy Fire Chief Mike Fahey said. There was significant damage to the apartment's kitchen and a back porch area, Fahey said. Five other apartment units received light smoke damage, authorities said.

LEXINGTON, KY - The fire started around 1:30pm at the home on Majestic View Walk, near Sandersville Road. The woman told firefighters that she opened her garage door and noticed smoke pouring out of the laundry room. Firefighters say the woman had left the dryer running while she went to shop, and that is where the fire started. Battalion Chief Todd Samuelson says the home suffered major smoke and fire damage, "It's always a good idea when you do leave your home not to leave your dryer running and also do the proper maintenance to the dryer vent itself and make sure that lint doesn't build up." Six Displaced After Dryer Causes Fire - KVUE ABC News (1/26/2016)

AUSTIN, TX- Six people are displaced after a clothes dryer caused a fire at an apartment complex. The fire, which caused about $50,000 in damage, happened at Mission James Place apartments. Starting in a dryer and eventually ending up in an attic, the fire damaged three apartment buildings.

TRYON, PE CANADA - Lint from a clothes dryer caught fire and set a home ablaz, the P.E.I. Fire Marshal's Office has found. "This fire has been ruled as accidental in nature with the origin in or around a clothes dryer in the porch/laundry area, on the main level of the home," says the report from the Fire Marshal's Office. "The cause is attributed to the ignition of lint in the dryer and/or duct work." "The structure sustained heavy fire damage to the main level of the dwelling and smoke and water damage throughout the remainder of the home," said the fire marshal.

FRANKLIN, MA - Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire Tuesday in a multi-family home that injured a firefighter. The fire heavily damaged the three-story, four-unit building and displaced several residents. The fire department received a 911 call at noon for a report of a fire in a laundry dryer at the home. Arriving firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the rear basement, Fire Chief Gary McCarraher said. The fire quickly extended to the first and second floor of the building, triggering a three-alarm response," McCarraher said. Woman Overcome by Smoke at Dryer Fire - Laconia Daily Sun (1/19/2016)

LACONIA, NH - A woman was overcome by smoke inhalation when fire swept through their apartment. Capt. Bob Landry said he arrived to find smoke pouring from the rear door and a woman in respiratory arrest on the front stoop. Immediately firefighters began treating the woman, who regained consciousness. Landry said the fire started with a clothes dryer and that the first floor of the apartment was damaged by heat, smoke and water. Deputy Fire Chief Kirk Beattie, who took command at the scene, estimated the cost of the damage at $50,000. "Abundance of Lint" in Dryer Caused Fire - CBS Live 5 News (1/19/2016)

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - NCFD officials say an abundance of lint in a dryer vent caused a fire at a home on Dorchester Road. When fire crews arrived they found smoke coming from a double wide mobile home. Firefighters reported finding the fire under the trailer, and quickly extinguished it. According to authorities, six residents were displaced by the fire. "The fire was caused by an abundance of lint in the dryer vent," NCFD officials said in a statement. "Residents are reminded to clean out the lint trap each time the clothes dryer is used and to move the dryer to clean the attached vent about every six months."

ROUSES POINT, NY - A fire at an apartment building ousted several people from their homes. Rouses Point Fire Department was dispatched for a report of a dryer fire in one of the units. Crews were able to confine the flames to that apartment, Rouses Point Assistant Fire Chief Walt Laramie said. The unit, however, is completely unlivable, he told the Press-Republican, displacing five individuals. There is "significant smoke and water damage to the rear of the building," Laramie said.

SPRINGFIELD, MA - Lint in a dryer vent caused a fire to erupt at a home causing several thousand dollars in damages. When firefighters arrived they found the fire in the cellar of the home in Springfield. Crews were able to quickly extinguish the flames. "Lint in the dryer vent is how the fire started," explained Aid to the Fire Commissioner, Dennis Leger. The fire caused about $5,000 in damages to the single-family home.

BLACKBURN, UK - Firefighters were called out to extinguished a blaze in an overheated tumble dryer today. On arrival two Blackburn crews found the occupants standing outside the property. They found that the dryer had ignited and spread to the kitchen units and a washing machine. The blaze was tackled with one hose reel jet and a thermal imaging camera. There was severe fire damage to the kitchen and conservatory and modersate smoke damage to the ground floor of the home.

PORT ALLEGANY, PA - A mother and her five children lost their Port Allegany home in a dryer fire. Fire Marshal Cpl. Greg Agosti said the fire originated in the laundry room as a result of a plugged dryer vent. The clothes dryer was in operation when the vent became plugged inside the wall near the discharge point, causing the dryer to fail to dissipate heat and for lint to ignite within the system, according to Agosti. He said damage is estimated at more than $250,000.

BATAVIA, IL - A firefighter and another man were injured Thursday after a dryer caught fire in a home in Batavia. Crews responded to the fire, according to a statement from the Batavia Fire Department. The fire quickly spread throughout the 48-year-old man's trailer, fire officials said. One firefighter received a minor facial injury from falling debris and was treated at the scene, fire officials said. The man was treated for smoke inhalation and a minor hand burn at an area hospital. The trailer was deemed a total loss and not inhabitable, according to fire officials.

MACON, GA - A Macon woman said a dryer fire cost her everything. The fire started in a home at around 11:00. The woman said she was at home with her daughter when the child noticed that there was a problem. "My daughter came into the room and she's like, 'Mama , the dryer's smoking.' And when I got up and went in the kitchen it was fire." While she lost everything, she is thankful that she and her daughter got out, and now they will work to start rebuilding their lives.

HENDERSON, NV - One adult and two children made it safely out of a Henderson house after a fire broke out in the laundry area this morning, according to the city's fire department. Fire crews were called about 8:30 a.m., according to Henderson Fire Department spokeswoman Kathleen Richards and the American Red Cross of Southern Nevada. The fire was caused by the clothes dryer, and an estimate of the total damage to the home was not immediately available, she said. Two adults, two children and a dog were displaced.

HAMILTON, ON, CANADA - Hamilton Fire crews had a busy Sunday evening fighting dryer fires at three separate locations, all reported in the span of just over an hour. Fires on Paling Avenue in the east end and Ontario Avenue in Stinson were both contained within the dryer, but a reported ire on Locke Street North had spread some beyond the dryer, said Hamilton Fire spokesman Claudio Mostacci. Two people were assessed for smoke inhalation, Mostacci said.

CHULA VISTA, CA - Frightening moments for a teenager, who managed to escape a burning apartment unit. The 14-year-old girl was home alone and sleeping, when a smoke alarm woke her up. The girl was able to escape and firefighters were quickly on the scene before the fire spread. Crews said a dryer caught on fire. At least four people were displaced.