Millions of lives 'at risk' due to faulty tumble dryers, fire authorities say

Three fires a day are caused by faulty tumble dryers, according to the Local Government Association

A burned-out tumble dryer (Getty Images / iStock)

Millions of lives are at risk due to faulty tumble dryers which cause three fires a day, authorities have warned amid an appeal for an urgent recall of dangerous models.

There were 2,190 tumble dryer fires between 2012 and 2014, according to the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents 48 fire and rescue authorities in England and Wales.

And appliance companies who choose to repair faulty machines rather than recall them are “risking the lives of millions of customers,” said Jeremy Hilton, chair of the LGA’s fire services management committee.

International manufacturer Whirlpool, which owns home appliance companies Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda, notified customers of a widespread safety deficit in its tumble dryers last November.

Around five million machines have been sold in the UK which are thought to pose a risk of fire, caused by a build-up of excess fluff that catches on the dryer’s heating element.

“These defective products are endangering lives, causing thousands of pounds of damage to homes and making people homeless,” Mr Hilton told the Press Association.

“It's been months since some manufacturers issued safety warnings over their tumble dryers, but they need to be recalled as these appliances are still causing fires,” he said.

“Until they do so, consumers continue to risk falling victim to a devastating and tragic house fire.”

The LGA called for all white goods to have fireproof markings on them which allow identification of the manufacturer, model and serial number.

In March, a faulty tumble dryer caused a fire at the home of a family of three in Finchley, north London.

According to the London Fire Brigade, the mother and her two children had a “lucky escape”, as they spotted smoke before the fire was able to spread from the dryer to the rest of the home.

“Finchley tumble dryer blaze shows why we’re calling for fire proof markings on white goods,” the London Fire Brigade wrote on Twitter.

Anyone who bought dryers by Indesit, Hotpoint or Credit between April 2004 and September 2015 has been advised to check their machine and a website dedicated to safety has been set up for customers.

Whirlpool and its subsidiaries are in the process of repairing the potentially dangerous dryers.

But consumer group Which? Has accused the company of taking to long to carry out the repairs, with some customers waiting up to 12 weeks to obtain a customer ID.

In response to the Which? enquiry, which used mystery shoppers to test responses from Whirlpool, the multinational said there were inconsistencies in the report but it would investigate the issues raised, according to the BBC.

Tumble dryer owners have been recommended to clean out the compartment where fabric fibres build up after every load to reduce the risk of it igniting.

They have also been urged by the LGA not to cover any vents or leave the machines on overnight or when no one is at home.