Tumble dryer causes fire

Crews have issued safety advice after a tumble dryer caused a house fire in Maldon.

We were called to a three-storey end terrace in Cross Road yesterday at 4.59pm and two crews from Maldon attended.

Firefighters found a well-developed fire in a kitchen.

Crew Manager Nick Trice said: "The occupant saw smoke coming from the tumble dryer so he stopped it, took out the towels, which were alight, threw them outside and put water on them.

"However, when he turned around there was black smoke coming from the tumble dryer, so he got out and called 999, which was exactly the right thing to do.

"Crews did a brilliant job of quickly getting the fire under control. Thanks to their hard work, they managed to contain it to the kitchen and stop it from spreading to the roof."

The fire was fully extinguished at 5.57pm.

Although the kitchen was badly damaged, internal doors were closed so there was limited smoke damage to the rest of the house.

The exact cause of the fire could not be determinted but crews have advised anyone using a washing machine to follow our safety advice.

• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions
   
• Don’t use tumble dryers at night or while unattended
   
• Clean the filters after each use to ensure they do not become blocked with fluff
   
• Items should be removed from the dryer immediately after the cycle and shaken loose to assist cooling
   
• Ensure that the appliance has its own plug socket and do not overload extension leads