Dryer lint causes 2,900 fires every year

CLEVELAND - A major cause of clothes dryer fires -- which spike during winter months -- is often ignored until fire breaks out.

A recent report from the U.S. Fire Administration estimates there are 2,900 clothes dryer fires every year, causing five deaths, 100 injuries and $35 million in property loss.

Heavy clothes, sweaters and blankets used during winter months shed much more lint and create fire hazards during winter months.

But cleaning the lint trap alone is not enough to prevent fires.

Just last October, a dryer fire nearly destroyed Kimberly Ness' home.

"That room was pretty much gone," said Ness, looking at what was left of her charred laundry room.

Fire investigators say cleaning the lint trap is just a first step. The real buildup of lint happens out of sight and is overlooked by most consumers.

Vent cleaning experts and officials with the North Eastern Ohio Fire Prevention Association, NEOFPA, said that lint buildup can quietly accumulate over yearsand trigger fires.

Rick Strah operates Advanced Air Duct Solution, Inc., a company specializing in dryer vent cleaning.

"Just building up in here," said Strah after taking the back cover off of one dryer.

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Dryer lint causes 2,900 fires every year