Many homeowners and renters may not realize a hidden danger behind their walls: The potential for dryer fires caused by lint buildup. For Patrick B.* of Chicago, that risk revealed itself in dramatic fashion.

Patrick was drying a load of clothes in his apartment, a 19^th-century walk-up, when he smelled something burning. When he opened the door to the laundry closet, he heard crackling and saw flames behind the dryer. He quickly switched the dryer off and was able to extinguish the flames. Had he not been home or had he not noticed the fire early enough, the incident could have become catastrophic for him, his pets, and the other residents of the building.

Lint is a leading cause of dryer fires

There are approximately 16,000 dryer fires in the U.S. each year, and of those, lint ignition is the leading cause, according to the National Fire Protection Association, making up 27% of those fires.

Cleaning the dryer’s lint screen after each use is not enough; flammable lint can still make its way into the ductwork and build up. Failing to clean out the dryer vent can set you up for a dangerous situation that is far more serious than the drop in performance caused by constricting a dryer’s ductwork.

For Patrick and his fiancée, the incident was a powerful warning about the potential for dryer fires if proper maintenance is not performed, which in this case should have been conducted by his landlord, and proper equipment is not installed.

   |  "It's life and death. Literally.",  

Patrick notes about his experience. "If that catches fire, the entire building is going up. And it’s not just you, there’s 14 people who could potentially perish.”