ST. GEORGE — St. George Fire Department responded to a possible structure fire Thursday afternoon to find a smoke-filled home and a dryer engulfed in flames.
The fire was reported shortly after 2 p.m. at 300 South 2450 East, near Riverside Drive, St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker said. All occupants, including a blue parakeet, were outside the house before firefighters arrived. Chief Stoker said both firefighters and occupants were uninjured.
The fire crew was able to extinguish the fire before pulling the dryer onto the back patio to remove it from the home.
“It looks like they had some rags and some towels and things (in the dryer),” Chief Stoker said at the scene. “We haven’t talked to the owners yet but looks like either a malfunction in the dryer or something inside the drum actually caught on fire and then caught the underneath on fire.”
Chief Stoker said the fire department was taking steps to release the home back to its occupants.
“So right now we’re just in the process of overhaul to make sure we don’t have any fire in the walls or the cabinets above the dryer, so we remove some drywall there and check some areas,” he said.
Shortly after 3 p.m., the occupants entered the home and the fire crew left the scene.
Chief Stoker previously told St. George News reporter Mori Kessler at the scene of a 2020 fire that people need to remember to clean lint traps, check dryer vent systems and clean the area around their dryers to prevent fires. He added that once a dryer fire is ignited, it can cause major damage to the home unless caught in time.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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