A fire and rescue service has issued a safety warning to residents following a series of tumbler dryer fires in North Wales.
As reported by The Mirror, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) were alerted to six separate fires over seven weeks, all involving tumble dryers. In one incident in Broughton, which took place on 25 March, NWFRS confirmed that the fire started in the garage area and spread to the neighbouring property’s garage before travelling up to the roof spaces, “causing severe fire damage to both homes”.
In another incident in Mynytho on 9 April, which also left a house “severely damaged”, two residents were taken to hospital for “precautionary checks”.
The fire service has since reiterated its appeal to residents to use tumble dryers safely and to ensure that they have working smoke alarms fitted.
Head of Fire Safety for NWFRS, Paul Kay said: “A fire can be devastating for all involved – causing damage and disruption and in the worst cases, loss of life.
“We’re appealing to residents to follow some simple steps we should all be taking when using our tumble dryers to help everyone stay safe.”
Paul added: “Most importantly of all – make sure you have a working smoke alarm and test it regularly – we recommend once a week.
“You should also ensure you have an escape plan for you and your family should a fire occur – and once you're out of the house, you should always stay out, and never go back in.”
NWFRS has also offered some safety tips for residents, including not overloading plug sockets, not leaving appliances unattended, keeping the well of the dryer well-ventilated, regularly cleaning the filter, and more.
The full list of safety tips can be found here.
Regarding the tumble dryer fires, Paul added that “no trend had been identified as yet with make/models”.
"We're undertaking an internal review of all incidents to better understand if there is any correlation,” he said.
(Photograph by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service)