Spring into Fire Safety – April Edition
Clothes
Dryer Maintenance
The Frederick
County Division of Fire and Rescue Services suggests that residents take a few
extra steps to remain fire safe this spring.
According to the United States Fire Administration, nearly 3,000 clothes
dryer fires occur each year. Estimates from those fires indicate, 5 people are
killed, 100 are injured and property loss results in $35 million dollars. Failure to clean the clothes dryer is the
leading cause of these types of home fires.
To prevent this from happening in your home, a few steps should be
taken:
The lint filter
must remain in place and properly fit the dryer. Lint is a highly combustible material that
can accumulate both in the dryer and in the dryer vent.
Prior to and immediately
following a load of laundry, the lint filter must be cleaned. Accumulated lint leads to reduced airflow and
can pose a potential fire hazard.
Vent system piping
should be inspected to ensure it is not crushed or damaged. A compromised vent will not exhaust properly
to the outside.
.
Vent system
openings should be inspected for possible airflow restrictions (vegetation,
animals) or damage. Blockage in dryer exhaust
vents can occur from the nests of small birds or other animals.
Wall dampers
should remain in place to keep environmental elements out. Increased moisture buildup from snow and rain
entering the opening can cause lint accumulations at the exhaust opening.
Replace
coiled-wire foil or plastic venting with rigid, non-ribbed metal duct to limit airflow
restriction and buildup of lint in piping.
Flexible ductwork is more susceptible to exhaust path blockage from hose
compression and lint buildup.
Know what you are
drying: Don’t dry items that may be
flammable, glass fiber materials, items containing foam, rubber or
plastic. Multiple washings should be
completed to minimize any volatile chemical contamination.
Don’t overload the
dryer or leave it running when away from home.
In addition to these
simple steps, residents should ensure that they have working smoke alarms both
inside and outside of all sleeping areas.
Deadly gases and smoke can spread throughout a home quickly, it is
important that residents receive warning at the earliest time possible. For additional information about smoke
alarms, visit our website at: https://frederickcountymd.gov/index.aspx?NID=2321.
