A Finchley woman had a lucky escape last night when her tumble dryer set itself on fire. The woman saw smoke, found the tumble dryer alight and left the house with her two children.
The fire comes in the same week that the Brigade has launched a campaign to encourage the government to introduce one single, publicly accessible register of recalled products to help reduce the number of dangerous white goods in people’s homes.
London Fire Brigade Head of Fire Investigation Charlie Pugsley said: "This family had a lucky escape as it was just by chance the smoke was discovered before the fire took hold.
"Nearly one fire a day in the capital involves white goods such as dishwashers, washing machines, tumble dryers, fridges and freezers.
"In 90 per cent of cases, the cause was a fault in the appliance or its electrical supply rather than human behaviour.
"To reduce the fire risk posed by faulty white goods, we are now urging the Government to introduce one single, publicly accessible register of recalled products.
"Currently consumers rely on a variety of databases, manufacturers' websites and media publicity, making it difficult to find out if any of the electrical appliances they own are a potential death trap.
"We believe the current system to alert consumers a product is being recalled is ineffective with only around 10-20 per cent of products ever being returned or repaired.
"Worse still, faulty products often remain in circulation on the second-hand goods market."
Although fire investigators don't believe the dryer involved in this fire was part of any product recall, the severity of the blaze meant all means of identifying the exact make and model were destroyed. To combat this problem and improve the manufacturing and safety standards of white goods the Brigade is also calling for a requirement to have fireproof markings on appliances, making clear the manufacturer, and ideally the model and serial number for identification purposes in the event of a fire.
The Brigade is urging people to sign a petition on Cange.org to put further pressure on the Government to introduce a single register for white goods.
Twenty-one firefighters fought the fire, which badly damaged half of the ground floor. Thankfully no one was injured.
Four fire engines from Hendon and Finchley fire stations attended the scene.
The Brigade was called at 1824 and the fire was under control by 1908.