Firefighters Respond to Dryer Fire

A residential dryer fire on Marine Place Monday was put out with a water extinguisher from a fire engine, according to Frank Chiella of the Manhattan Beach Fire Department. 

The fire, confined to the home's laundry room, caused moderate smoke damage to that room, Chiella said.

The home's occupant called for help around 3:15 p.m. Monday when clothes were discovered burning in the dryer after a smoke detector alarm went off. Chiella said the clothes had been in the dryer for about 45 minutes, according to a report.

Lint appeared to be the cause of the fire, he said, adding that lint should be removed from a dryer's lint screen after every use to prevent buildup that then overflows to areas behind a dryer or into dryer ventilation, becoming a fire hazard. 

Chiella recommends that dryers be moved and the floor under them swept about every six months to a year. 

He told Manhattan Beach Patch that he sees dryer fires about four times a year, and that's just on his shift, not the other two.