Fire In Murrieta Blamed On Clothes Dryer

MURRIETA, CA — A clothes dryer fire at a Murrieta home Monday night was a reminder to residents about prevention.

The blaze was reported at 6:19 p.m. in the 39000 block of Chippewa Circle. When Murrieta Fire & Rescue arrived at the home, crews saw smoke coming from the garage. Once inside, firefighters realized the resident had nearly extinguished the blaze that ignited inside a clothes dryer.

Crews removed the dryer from the garage and made sure the fire did not extend into the walls or the interior of the home.

Once the blaze was fully extinguished, a large blower was used to remove smoke from the garage and home.

There were no injuries reported, and the home's residents were not displaced.

Firefighters remained at the scene for approximately 30 minutes to finish removing all of the smoke and to complete a report.

It wasn't immediately clear if the dryer malfunctioned or if lint buildup or some other cause may have started the fire.

There is an average of 2,900 dryer fires in the United States each year, resulting in about five deaths and 100 injuries, and causing approximately $35 million in property damage, according to FEMA. Read more from FEMA about preventing clothes dryer fires here.

—Joe Fanaselle contributed to this report.