Clearing Up Dryer Fire Details

Dear Editor:

Regarding “Dryer fire damages Carmel home” (Oct. 29): As the wife of lifemember, third.generation fire fighter and former Chief of South Salem Fire Department Dan Taylor, I would like to take this opportunity to address a few incorrect details in your story.

According to two different fire inspectors, the fire started inside the dryer—not in the filter or exhaust hose as stated in your article. The exhaust hose is cleaned regularly and the filter cleaned after every load. In fact, according to the fire inspectors, the exhaust hose was mostly clean of all debris. In this instance, the fire was caused by lint and debris that collected inside the machine, under the drum where normal maintenance cannot reach. That is the area where the fire started, not the hose or the filter; a painful lesson yes, but not the one implied in your article.

My fifteen.year.old son, Sean, should be hailed as a hero; not because he called 911, but for the cool.headedness that he used when he opened the door of the dryer and put the fire out with the fire extinguisher while I was on the phone with 911. Unfortunately, items surrounding the dryer were already on fire and went unnoticed, which was what caused most of the remaining damage. If Sean had not tamped down the fire to the degree that he had, I honestly believe that we would have lost the whole structure. Sean is my hero and I tell him that daily.

My family and I owe our thanks and gratitude to the fire and emergency personnel that assisted at the scene. Their dedication and hard work is much appreciated.
Mrs. Michele Taylor
CARmEL