Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) is urging people to take care using their clothes dryer following a laundry fire in Dunedin.
Fenz spokeswoman Lynn Crosson said Lookout Point crews were called about 10.30am yesterday to a home in Peel St, Mornington, after reports of a fire in a laundry.
They arrived to find ''a decent wee fire in a dryer,'' she said.
While crews were able to extinguish the blaze before it spread to other parts of the home, a person at the property was treated by St John for smoke inhalation before being taken to Dunedin Hospital.
The incident was reported to WorkSafe's Energy Safety team, but the dryer was so damaged its brand was indistinguishable.
Ms Crosson said the fire served as a timely reminder that dryers could be dangerous if improperly used or not maintained.
''Lint filters do need to be cleaned regularly. Also, just watch the size of your loads.''
Running an overloaded dryer could cause fires because dryers ''produce so much heat,'' she said.
She also sounded an alarm about spontaneous combustion of hot, dry clothes after they were removed from the dryer.
In 2012, a fire started at Wellington's Backbencher pub due to dried tea towels left in a bundle.
Ms Crosson said this risk could be mitigated by laying clothes out after they were dried.
