To further highlight the importance of fire safety-related services like those of Salvum, including fire awareness training and fire risk assessments, it’s been found that 370 fires in Greater Manchester in the last five years have one common cause – and it’s highly likely that it’s in your home already.
A tumble dryer causes a fire at an average frequency of once a week in Greater Manchester, according to figures supplied by the region’s Fire and Rescue Service – amounting to a total of 49 people being injured by said fires in the region between 2010 and 2015.
The most recent recorded case of this occurring took place last December, after an elderly woman was rescued from her Fallowfield home after her tumble dryer caught fire. The incident left two women requiring oxygen treatment.
Fire chiefs that attended the scene said the filter at the front of the dryer was totally blocked, causing an overheat that then set the clothes inside on fire.
The number of tumble drier-related fires that has occurred since 2010 has fluctuated between 51 and 70 a year – both shockingly high figures for such an apparently unusual cause of a fire.
What is being done to reduce these figures?
Five million tumble dryers of various brands and models have been subjected to a product safety alert after being associated with the fires.
Whirlpool, a multinational appliance manufacturer, has stated that excess fluff could, “in some rare cases”, come into contact with a dryer’s heating element and pose a fire risk.
The company issued a safety alert late last year, and is aiming to enhance the safety and quality of its appliances by performing an “extensive consumer outreach and service action plan”.
A nationwide risk
Data collated by the Manchester Evening News shows that more than 3,000 fires nationwide have been linked to tumble dryers and similar devices since 2010.
Another recent incident involved the death of a Birmingham woman in a fire that was possibly caused by a tumble drier. Mishell Moloney, 49, was found on her bedroom floor by members of her family, who could not revive her.
It may be a very odd and rare occurrence, but such incidents indicate just how crucial it is for property owners, residents and landlords alike to be well-informed and prepared with regard to residential fire safety.
For more information on the most common fire risks and the measures that could help to keep you and/or those who use your property safe, don’t hesitate to contact Salvum today.
