Family awakes to fire after clothes dryer turned on for the night

Putting a load of laundry in the dryer and then going to bed is not recommended by Welland Fire and Emergency Services, following an overnight fire Thursday.

Deputy Fire Chief Adam Eckhart said crews were called to a home on Bellevue Court at 3:05 a.m. for a basement fire caused by a clothes dryer.

“Residents at the home were awoken to a fire in the basement by smoke alarms,” Eckhart said in an email.

He said laundry had been put into the dryer before the residents turned in for the night, and that’s where the fire originated.

The family of four and their dog made it outside safely after hearing the alarms.

Fire crews were able to quickly control the fire. An estimated $15,000 in damage was contained mostly to the basement, although there is smoke damage throughout the house.

Eckhart said six trucks with 26 personnel responded to the scene and were there until 5:05 a.m.

He said the department doesn’t see a trend of fires caused by unattended laundry, but when these types of fires do happen it can because the appliance failed or overheated. He said uncleaned lint traps and issues with dryer ventilation systems can also play a role.

He said the fire department advises that laundry and other activities requiring appliances be done while someone is awake and able to monitor the situation.

What saved the residents in this case was their working smoke alarms.

“The owner had been visited by the fire department earlier this year and had replaced all of the home’s smoke alarms because they were beyond the 10year life expectancy,” Eckhart said, noting this is a positive result of the initiative to make sure smoke alarms are in working order throughout the community.