Tumble dryer warning after elderly man dies following house fire in …

An investigation into the death of an 89-year-old man, who died following a fire at his home, has concluded that the “most probable cause of the fire to be accidental due to a tumble dryer”. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS)^[1] has issued a statement about the tragedy and taken the opportunity to issue fire safety advice regarding the use of tumble dryers.

A DFRS statement said: “Firefighters from Chesterfield,^[2] Staveley and Dronfield were called to the the house in Darwin Avenue, Brockwell at about 5.35am on October 23. They entered the semi-detached property to rescue the gentleman.

“He was handed into the care of East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) and taken to hospital. Sadly, we were later informed that the gentleman had passed away. The thoughts and sympathy of everyone at Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service are with the family and friends of the deceased at this distressing time.

“A joint police and fire investigation has concluded the most probable cause of the fire to be accidental due to a tumble dryer. The property was fitted with working smoke alarms which had been activated. A file is being prepared for the coroner.”

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service would like to remind people of the following fire safety advice and information:

Never leave your tumble dryer unattended or running overnight.
Remove the lint from the trap after every load of clothes dried.
Keep your dryer well ventilated, ensuring that the vent pipe is kink free, not blocked or crushed in any way.
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Do not put rags or materials into your dryer if they have been used to soak up flammable liquids.
Ensure you have working smoke alarms fitted on every level of your home.
Test your smoke alarms weekly – Only working smoke alarms can save lives.

The service also recommends everyone register their household electrical appliances for free at registermyappliance.org.uk ^[3]. Registering your appliances is quick and easy – appliances can be up to 12 years old and you can register second hand appliances.

It only takes a few minutes and means you will be the first to hear about known faults and product recalls.

For more information about keeping safe in your home visit https://www.derbys-fire.gov.uk/safety/at-home/fire-prevention ^[4]

References

^{^} Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
^{^} Chesterfield, (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
^{^} registermyappliance.org.uk (registermyappliance.org.uk)
^{^} https://www.derbys-fire.gov.uk/safety/at-home/fire-prevention (www.derbys-fire.gov.uk)