GREENSBORO, N.C. — A Burlington house caught on fire after a pile of laundry burst into flames. The homeowner had just taken his stuff out of the dryer and put it on the bed when flames ignited.
“I initially was like, I was drying clothes, so it must be smoke from the dryer. There's clothes in it,” said Anthony Mebane. “But actually, it was the clothes.”
Firefighters say the man washing a raincoat. That special kind of fabric had chemicals in it that made it get extra hot. That's why fire firefighters say you should always check the label on your clothes before throwing it in the laundry.
Dryer Lint
A much more common type of fire comes from people not cleaning out the dryer lint. It burns down thousands of homes every year in America.
You also want to clean your duct at least once a year. If you're noticing your clothes take a lot longer to dry than normal there may be a blockage in the system.
Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer
Take a look at this fireball after non-dairy coffee creamer hits an the lighter.
Researchers at the University of Oregon say the chemical makeup of the product makes it highly flammable when it's drifting through the air.
So avoid pouring your creamer near an open flame like a candle or gas stove.
Old Computer Batteries
This happened to a school in Forysth County a few years ago. One of their older laptops over heated, sparking a fire. No one was injured. All the kids made it out okay. And there was only minor damage to the building. But nationwide office equipment fires cause an average of more than $2 million in damage every year according to insurancehub.com. Also injuring 12 people. Two of them dying from the fires.
The best way to prevent this: check your older computer batteries from time to time. Our own WFMY News 2 It guru Kevin Lipford says there are clear warning signs that the battery should be replaced.
“One of the early warning signs for a computer and or battery going bad is the swelling,” he said. “Kinda press on it a little bit and it kinda dips down, you can feel like there's pressure or a bubble in there. That means they are going bad.”
Spare Batteries
You also want to be careful how you store your batteries in those junk drawers in the kitchen. A fire started in a home in Madison after investigators say a lose 9-volt battery came into contact with a metal object. It just caused minor damage, but their kitchen cabinets had to be replaced. That's why it's best to store batteries in their original packaging.
Mirrors
You've probably heard that light reflecting off of mirrors can cause problems, but firefighters say you really only need to worry about certain types of mirrors.
“If it's curved inward, that allows for the light beam to actually be concentrated when it bounces off of it. Whenever it hits, if it hits in the right spot, it can start a fire,” said Chief Solomon with the West Columbia Fire Department.
The best way to avoid this is simply by keeping makeup mirrors away from the windows.
Christmas Trees
This time of year one of the biggest fire dangers is of course your tree! Check out the difference in the danger level between a well watered one and a dry tree. The dry one is completely engulfed before the other even starts to spread.
“When you get it home, make sure you cut off the base of the trunk, just a narrow disc, maybe half an inch to make sure that the base of the trunk is open and that water will be able to enter the tree,” said Kathy Crowley, an assistant professor of plant biology at Unity College.
While some websites swear by adding something extra – like sugar, soda and even vodka, Crowley says that can do more harm than good.
“It conceivably could stop the tree from taking up as much water as it needs if you add a lot of sugar to the water,” Crowley said. “Truly all the tree needs is basic freshwater.”
Important note!
And don't forget the best way to protect yourself is to make sure your smoke detectors are always working and not expired.
"You want to make sure that they are tested every month and that you change the battery in them,” said Dee Shelton with the Greensboro Fire Department. “If they need a battery every six months. Even electric ones have a backup battery in case the power goes out. Look at the date on the back to make sure it’s not expired. The date that's on there is the manufactured date. Add 10 years to that to make sure that they are a good smoke alarm.”