Dryer Vent Wizard of Sonoma County, California offers Fire Safety Tips on Dryer Vent Maintenance

"We´ve found a huge lack of awarenessamong consumers who think it´s normal for their dryer to take two to three cycles to dry one load of clothing and don´t realize this is a dryer vent clog warning sign and fire hazard," says Greg Longe who along with partner, John Lynch franchise Dryer Vent Wizard, Dry Clothes, Safe Homes, a nationwide chain of dryer vent cleaning, repair, replacement and alternation specialists in the U.S.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, dryer fires account for an average of 15,000 fires with an approximate $88 Million in property damage, 15 deaths and 400 injuries annually. "Failure to clean" was cited as the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in residential buildings.

In joining efforts with the NFPA, Dryer Vent Wizard is providing the following advice to consumers to minimize the risk of dryer fires:

• Be sure that dryer vent systems are up to code with city, state and manufacturer.
  
• Replace any plastic or foil vent with semi­rigid or solid metal venting.
  
• Clean screen lint trays before and after drying a load.
  
• Wash lint screens with soap and water every few months to remove residue left behind by fabric softeners.
  
• Have dryer vents professionally cleaned and inspected annually.
  
• Don´t keep combustibles like chemical cleaning products or chemical laden rags near dryers.
  
• Don´t leave the house or go to bed with your dryer running.
  
• In cold weather, check outside vent cover to make sure it´s not blocked or frozen shut.
  

Warning signs to look for:

• Clothes are taking more than one cycle to dry, especially jeans and towels.
  
• No lint visible on lint screen.
  
• Dryer repeatedly stops during a cycle.
  
• Clothes have moldy smell after dry cycle.
  
• Clothes are very hot after a dry cycle.
  

While fire prevention on all fronts is preferable, the NFPA also indicates that having a fire escape plan is as important. The NFPA´s theme is "Practice Your Escape Plan."

The NFPA indicates that only one­fifth to one­fourth of households (23%) have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan to ensure they could escape quickly and safely.

One­third of American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life­threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!

The NFPA offers the following advice:

• Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm.
• Everyone in the household must understand the escape plan. When you walk through your plan, check to make sure the escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily.
• Choose an outside meeting place (i.e. neighbor´s house, a light post, mailbox, or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they´ve escaped. Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.
• Go outside to see if your street number is clearly visible from the road. If not, paint it on the curb or install house numbers to ensure that responding emergency personnel can find your home.
• Have everyone memorize the emergency phone number of the fire department. That way any member of the household can call from a neighbor´s home or a cellular phone once safely outside.
• If there are infants, older adults, or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the fire drill and in the event of an emergency. Assign a backup person too, in case the designee is not home during the emergency.
• If windows or doors in your home have security bars, make sure that the bars have emergency release devices inside so that they can be opened immediately in an emergency. Emergency release devices won't compromise your security ­ but they will increase your chances of safely escaping a home fire.
• Tell guests or visitors to your home about your family´s fire escape plan. When staying overnight at other people´s homes, ask about their escape plan. If they don´t have a plan in place, offer to help them make one. This is especially important when children are permitted to attend "sleepovers" at friends´ homes.
• Be fully prepared for a real fire: when a smoke alarm sounds, get out immediately. Residents of high­rise and apartment buildings may be safer "defending in place."
• Once you´re out, stay out! Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues.
• Practice your home fire escape plan twice a year, making the drill as realistic as possible.
• Make arrangements in your plan for anyone in your home who has a disability.
• Allow children to master fire escape planning and practice before holding a fire drill at night when they are sleeping. The objective is to practice, not to frighten, so telling children there will be a drill before they go to bed can be as effective as a surprise drill.
• It´s important to determine during the drill whether children and others can readily waken to the sound of the smoke alarm. If they fail to awaken, make sure that someone is assigned to wake them up as part of the drill and in a real emergency situation.
• If your home has two floors, every family member (including children) must be able to escape from the second floor rooms. Escape ladders can be placed in or near windows to provide an additional escape route. Review the manufacturer´s instructions carefully so you´ll be able to use a safety ladder in an emergency. Practice setting up the ladder from a first floor window to make sure you can do it correctly and quickly. Children should only practice with a grown­up, and only from a first­story window. Store the ladder near the window, in an easily accessible location. You don­t want to have to search for it during a fire.
• Always choose the escape route that is safest ­ the one with the least amount of smoke and heat ­ but be prepared to escape under toxic smoke if necessary. When you do your fire drill, everyone in the family should practice getting low and going under the s moke to your exit.
• Closing doors on your way out slows the spread of fire, giving you more time to safely escape.
• In some cases, smoke or fire may prevent you from exiting your home or apartment building. To prepare for an emergency like this, practice "sealing yourself in for safety" as part of your home fire escape plan. Close all doors between you and the fire. Use duct tape or towels to seal the door cracks and cover air vents to keep smoke from coming in. If possible, open your windows at the top and bottom so fresh air can get in. Call the fire department to report your exact location. Wave a flashlight or light-colored cloth at the window to let the fire department know where you are located.

For additional information on the National Fire Protection Association's "Practice Your Escape Plan," visit www.nfpa.org

Dryer Vent Wizard, Dry Clothes Safe Homes is a member of the National Fire Protection Association and the largest chain of dryer vent cleaning, repair, replacement and alternation specialists in the U.S. with nearly 50 franchisees in major markets in the U.S. For more information call 866-498-7233.