The risk of fire can come from unexpected sources.
A fire in Scoresby on the weekend was started when oil-stained clothes were washed and then put through a dryer.
Photos courtesy Scoresby Fire Brigade
Firefighters were called to investigate smoke issuing from a business on Ferntree Gully Road on Saturday 20 April at 7.56am.
Police were required to force entry into the single-storey premises so firefighters wearing Breathing Apparatus could enter and put out the fire.
Due to its nature, location and point of origin, the fire was initially considered suspicious but upon further investigation it was found to have started when the heat from the freshly-dried clothes and left over oil residue in the material caused the clothes to combust and catch fire.
The dryer cycle had heated the oils in the clothes to the point of smouldering, and the fire started when the clothes were left in a pile just inside the doorway of the business.
Firefighters from Scoresby and Rowville CFA brigades and a crew from MFB attended the fire, which was deemed under control at 8.10am.
The scene was then handed to Victoria Police.
Dryer fires become more common as we head into the colder months.
CFA reminds people to clean the lint filter on their clothes dryer after each load and let the dryer complete its cool-down cycle before stopping.
