The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has released a report regarding clothes dryer fires in residential buildings.

Between the years 2002-2004, an annual average of 12,700 clothes dryer fires occurred in residential buildings. These fires were responsible for an estimated 15 civilian fire deaths, 300 civilian fire injuries, and $88 million in property loss each year.

The report, Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings, was developed by the USFA’s National Fire Data Center as part of its Topical Fire Research Series and is based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for 2002-2004.

The report examines the characteristics of clothes dryer fires and provides recommendations for clothes dryer fire safety. To view this six page report:

www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/tfrs/v7i1.pdf (PDF, 669 Kb)

NOTE: Just five days after this report was released, five Firefighters from LAFD's Second Battalion were injured while fiercely battling a residential structure fire sparked by a clothes dryer in Highland Park.

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department