Between 2002–2004, an annual average of 12,700 clothes dryer fires occurred in residential buildings, according to a new report from the U.S. Fire Administration. These fires were responsible for an estimated 15 civilian fire deaths, 300 civilian fire injuries, and $88 million in property loss each year.

The report, Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings, was developed by the USFA's National Fire Data Center as part of its Topical Fire Research Series and is based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System for 2002–2004. The report examines the characteristics of clothes-dryer fires and provides recommendations for clothes-dryer fire safety.

Using the latest three years of data, from 2002 to 2004, the yearly national fire loss for clothes-dryer fires in residential and non-residential structures is estimated at $99 million. Each year, these losses result from an estimated 15,600 fires that required a fire department response. These clothes-dryer fires cause an annual average of approximately 400 injuries and 15 fatalities.

"Clothes-dryer fires, small and large, can have devastating consequences," the report says. Examples from the report include:

• A woman suffered severe burns after the clothes dryer in her Deerfield Beach, Fla., home exploded.
• A clothes dryer caught fire and caused $3,000 in damage to a China Grove, N.C., laundromat.
• A clothes-dryer fire in Hialeah, Fla., left a family homeless. The family said the fire was caused by lint in the ventilation duct.
• A Suffolk, Va., blaze was caused by an obstructed dryer-vent hose. The fire was contained to the dryer, destroying the appliance and the clothes inside.

• Eighty percent of clothes dryer fires in structures occur in residential buildings.
• "Failure to clean" is the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in residential buildings.
• New home construction trends place clothes dryers and washing machines in more hazardous locations away from outside walls such as bedrooms, second-floor hallways, bathrooms, and kitchens.

The full report can be downloaded from the USFA Web site.