Dryer fire: what to do, cleanup and prevention

If it is happening

1. Do not open the dryer door. Opening it feeds air to the fire.
2. Get everyone out and call 911.
3. Close the laundry room door behind you to slow the spread.
4. If you can reach the breaker panel safely, switch off the dryer circuit. For a gas dryer, shut the gas valve only if it is easily and safely reached.
5. Use an extinguisher only on a very small fire, with a clear way out behind you.

Call the fire department even if the fire seems to be out. Lint burning inside the vent duct can travel through the wall or ceiling.

Why dryers catch fire

A dryer blows hot air through wet clothes and out through a duct. Lint, which is very fine and very flammable, goes with it. The lint screen catches most. The rest collects:

• In the housing around the screen
• Inside the cabinet, near the heating element or gas burner
• In the flexible connector behind the machine
• Along the duct, particularly at bends
• At the outside hood

As the duct blocks, air flow falls and temperatures rise. Eventually lint near the heat source ignites.

Other causes:

• Plastic or foil accordion ducting, which sags, traps lint and burns or melts. Rigid or semi-rigid metal duct is the standard.
• Ducts that are too long, have too many bends, or are crushed behind the machine
• A blocked outside hood: lint, snow, ice or a bird’s nest
• Items that should not be tumble dried: foam, rubber-backed mats, plastic
• Rags and clothing with oil on them. Cooking oil, massage oil, stains, solvents and petrol can remain after washing and self-heat. These can ignite in the dryer or in a pile afterwards.
• Mechanical and electrical faults: failed thermostats, worn drum seals, damaged wiring
• Overloading

Warning signs before a fire

• Clothes take longer and longer to dry
• The dryer or the laundry room is unusually hot
• A burning smell
• The outside vent flap barely opens when the dryer runs
• Lint collecting behind the dryer or around the door
• The machine shuts itself off mid-cycle

After the fire

• Do not use the dryer or the laundry circuit
• Do not go back in until the fire department says it is safe
• Photograph everything
• Call your insurer or broker
• Leave the dryer where it is. If a product defect is suspected, the insurer may want it examined.
• Check Health Canada’s recall listings for the model

The damage

A laundry room fire is often small in flame and large in smoke.

• Smoke and soot. Burning lint, plastic parts and synthetic fabrics produce black, oily, strong-smelling smoke that travels through the house. Laundry rooms near the furnace let it into the return air.
• Inside the walls. Fire in the vent duct can char framing and ignite insulation along its route. Walls and ceilings may need opening.
• Heat damage to cabinets, flooring, the washer and nearby plumbing. Plastic supply hoses and drain pipes melt, which can add a water leak.
• Water or extinguisher residue. Dry chemical powder is corrosive and should be cleaned up promptly.

Cleanup

1. The furnace fan stays off until the area is cleaned, and the filter is replaced.
2. Burned materials and the dryer are removed.
3. The vent duct is replaced along its full length, not cleaned.
4. Soot is removed dry first, with HEPA vacuums and dry cleaning sponges, then surfaces are washed with a degreasing cleaner.
5. Charred framing is cleaned or replaced, and sealed.
6. Clothing and textiles in the house are cleaned. Do not put smoke-affected laundry through a dryer until the smell has gone.
7. Ducts are cleaned if smoke was drawn into the heating system.
8. Stained surfaces are primed with a stain and odour blocking primer and repainted.
9. Electrical wiring and outlets in the area are checked by a licensed electrical contractor.

Prevention

Every load

• Clean the lint screen
• Do not leave the dryer running when you go out or go to bed

Every few months

• Wash the lint screen with soapy water if you use dryer sheets or fabric softener. They leave a film that blocks the mesh.
• Vacuum the screen housing
• Check that the outside flap opens freely and is clear of lint, snow and nests

Every year

• Disconnect and clean the full length of the vent duct, or have it done. Long or concealed runs need professional equipment.
• Vacuum behind and beneath the dryer
• Have the inside of the cabinet cleaned by a technician every few years

The installation

• Use rigid or semi-rigid metal duct, as short and straight as possible
• Join sections with foil tape, not screws that catch lint
• Vent to the outdoors, never into an attic, crawl space or garage
• Do not crush the connector when pushing the dryer back
• Do not put a screen over the outside hood. It blocks with lint.

What goes in

• Follow care labels. Keep foam, rubber and plastic out.
• Wash oily items more than once and hang them to dry

Alarms

• A working smoke alarm near the laundry area

Condos and apartments

Dryer ducts in multi-unit buildings are often long and run through shared spaces. Ask the corporation or landlord how often they are cleaned and who is responsible. Booster fans in long runs need maintenance too.

Insurance

Fire and smoke damage from a dryer fire are generally covered under home, condo and tenant policies. The dryer itself is covered as contents, subject to the deductible.

More: fire damage restoration.