Dad braves fire to save home

Airing clothes in a dryer almost cost a Halswell family their home.

Glen Rossiter-Campbell put a damp load of washing into the dryer of his Longspur Ave, home on Tuesday afternoon.

But within five minutes the dryer was on fire.

"I went out the front to have a smoke. I came back inside and could see a smoke haze coming down the hallway. At first I thought it was a dust storm. I went into the garage and it was full of smoke. I could just see flames in the distance.

"I felt around the walls to try and find the garage door button but there was no power.''

Mr Rossiter-Campbell had to manually open the garage door.

"I pulled the dryer cord out of the wall. I turned it around so the flames were facing away from me, picked it up and carried it out of the garage. I threw it on the driveway.''

A fire appliance from Sockburn arrived at the house about 3.10pm.

By that stage Mr Rossiter-Campbell had already extinguished the blaze with a garden hose.

Struggling to breathe and talk, Mr Rossiter-Campbell needed medical attention.

He was taken to Christchurch Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.

"I was glad I was home. I didn't think about my own safety because I didn't want my family to come home to a burnt down house and have nowhere to live. I was full of adrenalin and did what I had to do.

"I'd rather have a dead dryer than no house for my family. The flames were really high. I think a polar fleece might have caused it. I'm still suffering from the smoke inhalation. It still feels like it's burning.

"We've lost the kids school uniforms, my favourite pair of shorts and a few other items of clothing. It's lucky I was home. It could've been so much worse. There's no further damage, just the burnt out drier full of shredded clothes. Both our cars were parked in the garage when the fire started,'' he said.

Senior Fire Risk management officer Mark Thomas said dryer fires aren't common.

"Christchurch brigades are called out to about six fires a year.

"People tend to not clean the lint filter which can result in the dryer overheating and catching on fire.

"Clothes, rags and towels that have oils on them should be dried outside on the line as residue is still left on items after they are washed, which if placed in the dryer can also cause a fire. Sometimes like any electrical appliance the mechanics of it can malfunction.

"But most importantly, if you're using a dryer make sure you are home while it's going.''