Family flee as tumble dryer sparks shed blaze

A KIRKCALDY family fled their home after a recalled tumble dryer is believed to have sparked an inferno in an outbuilding.

The family of four, including two young children, were led to safety as flames raged from their shed on Dunnikier Estate on Monday night.

All escaped injury but the children, aged four and seven, were “shaken”.

Intense heat from the blaze caused damage to the outside of the house, melting the back door and a drainpipe, and cracking a window.

The children’s mother, who did not want to be named, said she heard a bang after loading the dryer and going back inside the house.

“I heard a bang then all the neighbours were out helping us get the kids out,” she added.

“My husband ran out with a hose and was soaking the decking to make sure it didn’t spread.”

Whirlpool, which owns Hotpoint and Indesit, had issued a safety notice after identifying a potential fire risk associated with up to 500,000 dryers sold under the Indesit, Hotpoint, Creda, Swan and Proline brands between April 2004 and September 2015.

Customers had the option of replacing their dryers or having them modified. Whirlpool-branded appliances were not affected.

“It was recalled a couple of years ago, in 2017, just before we moved through here,” said the woman.

“A Hotpoint engineer fixed the fault and it was deemed fit.”

A spokesman for Whirlpool said: “Our thoughts are with the residents affected by the fire, and we are investigating the situation.

“One of our senior engineers is visiting the property to help us understand what has happened as a matter of urgency.”