A fire official in Cyprus has warned home owners on the island not to leave home appliances like washing machines running unattended.
Speaking about the Fire Safety Week campaign this week, Fire Services Spokesperson Andreas Kettis said it was vital that even modern appliances like washing machines, dryers and dish washers were not left running unattended in homes.
“There have been advances with regards to the technology for electrical appliances but we must not forget that they are still electrical appliances,” warned Kettis.
“Any electrical appliance could pose a fire risk like because there could be a faulty circuit or perhaps there are problems with the plugs. We know of many cases in which the electrical sockets are overwhelmed with plugs and that in itself is a massive fire hazard.”
He added: “Leaving home appliances running in Cyprus is quite common but most people do not understand the risks.”
According to an international study on fires caused by home appliances, the most common cause of fires from washing machines is due to water leakage causing a circuit-board fire.
With regards to dish washers, the two most common causes are control-panel issues and liquid rinse-aids leaking into circuitry.
The most common causes of fires in dryers are lint blockages and gas leaks.
Last year, a dryer caused a huge tower block in London to catch fire which left families homeless and needed 120 firefighters to bring under control.
Malfunctioning household appliances caused almost 12,000 fires in Britain between 2011 and 2014, research by consumer group ‘Which?’ had found.
Washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers were the most likely items to cause fires, the research suggested.
Fires included in the figures were those caused by appliances that were “faulty, incorrectly installed or improperly maintained”.