Preventing Duct Fires

11/18/2021 (Permalink)

Clothing dryers are one of the nation's leading causes of both residential and commercial fires. These fires are typically due to overwhelming amount of lint trapped in your exhaust duct. According to The Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 15,500 fires occur annually from clothes dryers. A study conducted by The U.S. Fire Administration reports the leading cause of these fires, is failure to clean the dryer vent. It is estimated that five deaths a year , over one hundred injures and thirty-five million dollars in damages incurred solely from improper care of your dryer vents. The combination of heat and accumulated dryer lint and dust are the leading causes of dryer fires . taking a few of these preventive steps will promote safety from dryer fires. 

1. Continuously clean the lint screen. Every time you use your dryer verify that the lint screen is free of any lint
2. inspect and maintain your exhaust pipe. If the vent pipe isn't exhausting any heat, it is time to assess your exhaust ducting
3. keep your dryer in a working place , free from any clutter . Ensuring you have a dedicated area that is free of any dust lint or any loose clothing 
4. check with load capacity on your dryer and do not overload it. 

If you experience fire damage please don't hesitate to call SERVPRO of Petaluma/Rohnert Park at (707)588-8226