A common household item may have wrecked this family’s home! Could yours be at risk?
By
VanessaC
- Replies 18
Disclaimer: This article mentions the death of an animal. Reader discretion is advised.
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, there's no denying the convenience brought about by household appliances. These handy contraptions make our lives easier and save us precious time.
But while they're marvels of ease and efficiency, they aren't without their risks.
This seems to have been the grim reality for a woman from the UK who alleged that her tumble dryer caused a disastrous fire that razed her beloved family home while she was away.
Jade Beaumont, 29, along with her husband Simon, 31, and their three-year-old son Jack, returned home from a weekend escape, only to be met with a sight no family ever wishes to encounter.
'Nothing could’ve warned us for what we were about to see,' Jade remembered of the harrowing incident.
'The smell will haunt me for the rest of my life. I cannot describe how awful and how strong it was.'
Jade recalled feeling petrified when she entered their property.
'I didn’t know what had happened and how bad it was,' she said.
'I was screaming hysterically and my husband rang 999.'
Upon calling the emergency number in the UK, three fire engines roared to their rescue in what felt like seconds according to to Jade. Despite this prompt response, however, the cruel reality hit them: 'Everything we owned except the clothes we were wearing were gone.'
They have lost everything in the home they have been living in for the past eight years. This included precious and 'irreplaceable' items—and most tragically, their 15-year-old cat, Charlie.
'All the pictures had melted and everything was black including the furniture, walls, ceiling. I had a photo wall with hundreds of photographs—some were original and irreplaceable,' Jade said.
'We lost sentimental belongings of my husband’s late grandad, wedding dress, our wedding album, all of our clothes.'
According to the firefighters, their tumble dryer, which was left switched on but was not in use, was likely to blame for the fire. However, the exact reason remains unknown.
'I was so shocked—I never realised a dryer could set on fire while not actually in use. I'm warning everyone to check their appliances before going away,' she said.
'I did notice a burnt shelf that was on the wall where the dryer was, the next time I went into the kitchen that had completely turned to ash.'
The NSW Rural Fire Service had warned tumble dryer users that the lint buildup may start a fire as they are highly flammable. They recommended cleaning the lint filter each time the dryer is used to reduce the risk of setting one’s house on fire.
In a another incident in 2019, a family residing in Murrumbateman, some 30 kilometers northwest of Canberra, was relaxing at home when their clothes dryer unexpectedly ignited. Promptly, they managed to put out the fire by relocating the dryer outdoors and using a garden hose.
Moreover, a man in Spain also nearly missed escaping a fiery explosion at a laundromat. A cigarette lighter was allegedly left inside a pocket and had caused a tumble dryer to explode.
Superintendent Adam Dewberry from NSW Fire and Rescue issued a reminder for everyone and said: 'The message is to always check your pockets, not only for the tissues that turn your clothes into a white mess, but more importantly for the modern conveniences such as batteries and lighters.'
Members, have you heard of something similar happening? What do you think caused the unfortunate blaze? Let us know in the comments below!
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, there's no denying the convenience brought about by household appliances. These handy contraptions make our lives easier and save us precious time.
But while they're marvels of ease and efficiency, they aren't without their risks.
This seems to have been the grim reality for a woman from the UK who alleged that her tumble dryer caused a disastrous fire that razed her beloved family home while she was away.
Jade Beaumont, 29, along with her husband Simon, 31, and their three-year-old son Jack, returned home from a weekend escape, only to be met with a sight no family ever wishes to encounter.
'Nothing could’ve warned us for what we were about to see,' Jade remembered of the harrowing incident.
'The smell will haunt me for the rest of my life. I cannot describe how awful and how strong it was.'
Jade recalled feeling petrified when she entered their property.
'I didn’t know what had happened and how bad it was,' she said.
'I was screaming hysterically and my husband rang 999.'
Upon calling the emergency number in the UK, three fire engines roared to their rescue in what felt like seconds according to to Jade. Despite this prompt response, however, the cruel reality hit them: 'Everything we owned except the clothes we were wearing were gone.'
They have lost everything in the home they have been living in for the past eight years. This included precious and 'irreplaceable' items—and most tragically, their 15-year-old cat, Charlie.
'All the pictures had melted and everything was black including the furniture, walls, ceiling. I had a photo wall with hundreds of photographs—some were original and irreplaceable,' Jade said.
'We lost sentimental belongings of my husband’s late grandad, wedding dress, our wedding album, all of our clothes.'
According to the firefighters, their tumble dryer, which was left switched on but was not in use, was likely to blame for the fire. However, the exact reason remains unknown.
'I was so shocked—I never realised a dryer could set on fire while not actually in use. I'm warning everyone to check their appliances before going away,' she said.
'I did notice a burnt shelf that was on the wall where the dryer was, the next time I went into the kitchen that had completely turned to ash.'
The NSW Rural Fire Service had warned tumble dryer users that the lint buildup may start a fire as they are highly flammable. They recommended cleaning the lint filter each time the dryer is used to reduce the risk of setting one’s house on fire.
In a another incident in 2019, a family residing in Murrumbateman, some 30 kilometers northwest of Canberra, was relaxing at home when their clothes dryer unexpectedly ignited. Promptly, they managed to put out the fire by relocating the dryer outdoors and using a garden hose.
Moreover, a man in Spain also nearly missed escaping a fiery explosion at a laundromat. A cigarette lighter was allegedly left inside a pocket and had caused a tumble dryer to explode.
Superintendent Adam Dewberry from NSW Fire and Rescue issued a reminder for everyone and said: 'The message is to always check your pockets, not only for the tissues that turn your clothes into a white mess, but more importantly for the modern conveniences such as batteries and lighters.'
Key Takeaways
- A woman claims her tumble dryer caused a fire that destroyed her family home and killed their pet cat.
- The woman came home to find her house engulfed in flames and everything inside destroyed, including precious and irreplaceable items.
- The firefighters allegedly told her that the tumble dryer, which had been switched on but was not in use, was likely to have caused the fire.
- The NSW Rural Fire Service previously warned that lint build-up inside appliances like tumble dryers can start fires, and recommends cleaning the lint filter each time the dryer is used.