Tumble dryer fire destroys family home

A mum-of-three could only watch in horror as her new home went up in flames after her tumble dryer caught fire.

The fire spread rapidly and in less than half an hour her house became an uninhabitable ruin.

Shortly after putting laundry in the Hoover tumble dryer, Rachel Matty was upstairs relaxing with her youngest son when she heard the smoke alarm screeching.

She went downstairs, but could not see the source of the smoke. It was only after emptying the tumble dryer did she notice an orange glow and flames flickering behind the drum.

Rachel unplugged the dryer and switched it off before grabbing her children and leaving the house with the family pets. She called 999, but could only watch on as her home was engulfed by flames.

The fire service has assessed it as uninhabitable, and the family cannot live there for about two or three months.

Fire fighters believe that the cause of the fire was likely to be electrical. Hoover is not one of the makes currently subject to nationwide recalls and modifications because of potential fire hazards.

No cost estimate has been given as of yet for the amount of damage caused to the family home in Cheltenham, Gloucester.

Rachel had only lived in the newly built house for a year and a half, and had been slowly redecorating it to make a house her home.

As the family waits to see what can be salvaged, Rachel is urging people to not leave their home with the dryer on. She wants to raise awareness of how quick fires can spread.