Fatal tumble dryer fire was caused by a faulty component, expert says

A TUMBLE dryer fire which killed two men was caused by a faulty component in the door switch, an expert told an inquest yesterday.

Fire and explosions analyst Dr Paul Jowett said ‘untoward electrical activity’ between two contact pads within the switch sparked the blaze.

A theory that the fire started by spontaneous combustion within a load of towels in the dryer was not supported by his investigation, he added.

He also rejected the possibility the fire started in an iron or light fitting.

The expert, who has investigated 1,300 fires and explosions over the past 20 years, gave evidence at an inquest into the deaths of restaurant manager Doug McTavish, 39, from Larkhall, Lanarkshire, and chef Bernard Hender, 19.

Both died in a blaze at their flat in Llanrwst, North Wales, in October 2014. The local fire and rescue service identified a Hotpoint TVM 570 tumble dryer as the seat of the fire.

Dr Jowett told the inquest in Abergele: ‘The door switch assembly was the most likely cause of the fire. The key evidence is the condition of the contact pads, where there is pronounced melting in the bottom third. It is simply not credible that this could be the result of normal wear and tear.’

Also yesterday Larry Latack, former head of global product safety for Hotpoint owner Whirlpool, said: ‘Spontaneous combustion is the best fit for the evidence which has been presented.’

He rejected a claim by counsel for the victims’ families that Whirlpool ‘had done little or nothing’ to investigate a possible fault with the door switch.

The hearing continues.