Fire Department

Firefighters responded to a west side residence after an appliance repair project went awry.

A man says he was trying to apply an aerosol lubricant to a squeaky belt inside his clothes dryer. Lacking a tube to attach to the aerosol can and extend underneath the dryer, he lay on the ground and began spraying the lubricant openly into the lower mechanical area of the dryer. That’s when the dryer "erupted in fire." The fire was already out when the family called 911.

One person home at the time grabbed the aerosol can and took it outside. Paramedics evaluated the man's injuries, and a family member drove him to the ER for additional care.

Ladder Company 2 responded to the home to investigate the fire. They disconnected the dryer from its electrical source, and the family was advised not to use it again. Ladder 2 found no additional damage to the home beyond the scorching that occurred in the electrical portion of the dryer.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.