With an number of dryer fires in our area recently, two of them in Monroe, the HFFD wanted to provide some information about home clothes dryer fires and what you can do to prevent them

Per the Untied States Fire Administration-
2,900 home clothes dryer fires are reported each year and cause an estimated 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss.
Failure to clean the dryer (34 percent) is the leading cause of home clothes dryer fires.
More home clothes dryer fires occur in the fall and winter months, peaking in January.

Whether you use an electric or gas clothes dryer, you will have lint. Lint builds up in the lint trap but also inside the dryer vent and ductwork, reducing air flow and drying efficiency. Lint can cause humidity levels to rise around vents causing mildew and mold to develop in walls and insulation. ... But most importantly , Lint causes fires.

Simple tasks that can help prevent clothes dryer fires include

1-Clean Lint Traps after each use.
2-Replace foil or plastic accordion style flexible duct work with rigid or flexible metal ductwork
3-Clean the dryer duct work all the way to the outside at least annually
4-Clothes stained with gas, cooking oil, cleaning agents, or other flammable chemicals or substances need special care. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends washing such stained clothing more than once to minimize volatile chemicals, then hanging to dry.