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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
estimates that in 1998, clothes dryers were
associated with 15,600 fires, which resulted in 20
deaths and 370 injuries. Fires can occur when lint
builds up in the dryer or in the exhaust duct.
Lint can block the flow of air, cause excessive
heat build-up, and result in a fire in some
dryers.
To help prevent fires:
- Clean the lint screen/filter
before or after drying each load of
clothes. If clothing is still damp
at the end of a typical drying cycle
or drying requires longer times than
normal, this may be a sign that the
lint screen or the exhaust duct is
blocked.
- Clean the dryer vent and exhaust
duct periodically. Check the
outside dryer vent while the dryer is
operating to make sure exhaust air is
escaping. If it is not, the vent or
the exhaust duct may be blocked. To
remove a blockage in the exhaust path,
it may be necessary to disconnect the
exhaust duct from the dryer. Remember
to reconnect the ducting to the dryer
and outside vent before using the
dryer again.
- Clean behind the dryer, where
lint can build up. Have a
qualified service person clean the
interior of the dryer chassis
periodically to minimize the amount of
lint accumulation. Keep the area
around the dryer clean and free of
clutter.
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- Replace plastic or foil,
accordion-type ducting material with
rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal
duct. Most manufacturers specify
the use of a rigid or corrugated
semi-rigid metal duct, which provides
maximum airflow. The flexible plastic
or foil type duct can more easily trap
lint and is more susceptible to kinks
or crushing, which can greatly reduce
the airflow.
- Take special care when drying
clothes that have been soiled with
volatile chemicals such as
gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning
agents, or finishing oils and stains.
If possible, wash the clothing more
than once to minimize the amount of
volatile chemicals on the clothes and,
preferably, hang the clothes to dry.
If using a dryer, use the lowest heat
setting and a drying cycle that has a
cool-down period at the end of the
cycle. To prevent clothes from
igniting after drying, do not leave
the dried clothes in the dryer or
piled in a laundry basket.
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Click Here
for
Current Texas
Burn Bans
Applications for
Abilene
Fire Department
Firefighter
are not currently being accepted.
Check back periodically.
Application information
will be posted here.
If you are interested in becoming a Firefighter with Abilene Fire
Department the current preliminary
requirements can
be found
here.
[Click Here]
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When was the
last time you tested your smoke detectors ?
Your Abilene
Fire Department reminds you to test your detectors MONTHLY!
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FIREWATCH
every Monday on
KRBC 9
"Abilene's First News"
during the
5:00 pm Newscast
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Emergency Notification
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