Firefighters responded to a residential fire alarm activation on Laird Fletcher Road around 11 a.m. on Jan. 6 where a clothes dryer fire caused smoke damage to a home.
According to officials, Natchitoches Parish Fire District 6 (NPFD6) and the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the scene and arrived to find no one home and the residence filled with smoke. Firefighters made entry into the structure and located an active fire inside a clothes dryer in the laundry room.
Crews removed the dryer from the residence and used thermal imaging equipment to check the laundry room and surrounding areas for fire extension. The fire was contained quickly, resulting in minimal fire damage to the home, though moderate smoke damage was reported. No injuries occurred.
Engines 1 and 17 responded to the incident, along with Rescue units 1 and 6 and multiple members of NPFD6.
Fire officials used the incident as a reminder of the risks associated with clothes dryers. According to the National Fire Protection Association, approximately 5 percent of all residential structure fires each year are caused by clothes dryers. Dryer lint is considered one of the most flammable materials commonly found in homes.
Residents are urged to clean lint traps regularly and to avoid leaving home or going to sleep while a dryer is operating.
