Kitchen completely destroyed in tumble dryer fire in Burry Port
Fire chiefs have issued a warning after a tumble dryer fire "completely destroyed" a kitchen.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has issued advice after crews from Llanelli, Port Talbot and Kidwelly Fire Stations had to deal with the property fire caused by a tumble dryer in Burry Port, Carmarthenshire.
The fire service said on social media: "As you’ll see from these images, the property’s kitchen was completely destroyed by fire."
It is warning people to never leave appliances unattended, not to turn them on before leaving the house or going to bed.
It's also urging people not to overload a tumble dryer or put items in which have been used to soak up flammable liquids like cooking oil, and not to ignore warning signs, saying: "If you can smell burning or have clothes that feel hotter at the end of the cycle, have your appliance checked by a professional".
It comes after a spate of tumble dryer fires across north Wales, with the latest causing "severe damage" to a house in Mynythno, Gwynedd, on Tuesday afternoon, with two of the residents requiring precautionary checks in hospital.
Fire crews had been called to extinguish another tumble dryer fire in Caernarfon just hours earlier. They followed four other blazes in Broughton, Denbigh, Buckley and Ruthin, since 28 February this year, involving the dryers.
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is now reviewing the fires, to see if there is any correlation in models or other similarities.
No trend has been established yet.
Paul Kay, head of fire safety for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: "A fire can be devastating for all involved - causing damage and disruption and in the worst cases, loss of life.
"We’re appealing to residents to follow some simple steps we should all be taking when using our tumble dryers to help everyone stay safe.
"Most importantly of all – make sure you have a working smoke alarm and test it regularly – we recommend once a week.
"You should also ensure you have an escape plan for you and your family should a fire occur – and once you're out of the house, you should always stay out, and never go back in. No trend had been identified as yet with make/models - the most important thing is for all residents to follow our safety advice when using all tumble dryers.
"We're undertaking an internal review of all incidents to better understand if there is any correlation."
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