Think twice before putting your clothes in the dryer. 

Florida Atlantic University’s annual fire safety report, published in October 2024, shows a trend of at least one clothing dryer catching fire each year from 2021 to 2023 at the Boca Raton Student Housing Facilities.

There were, however, no reports of dryer fires last year, according to a public records request. While laundry may seem like a simple task for students living in campus housing, experts and university staff share safety tips on how to use the machines properly to prevent future incidents or fire hazards.

The leading cause of dryer fires is failure to clean them, according to the National Fire Protection Association’s Clothes Dryer Safety Tip Sheet from 2018. Steven Hawxhurst, a former firefighter and owner of Dryer Vent Wizard of Boca Raton, stated that clothing fires are commonly caused by a lack of ventilation due to the buildup of fabric fibers from the washing and drying process.

“For example, the main cause of a dryer fire is dust, fiber or lint in the actual appliance itself. So the accumulation of lint in the dryer and in the vent line itself transpires it,” said Hawxhurst, noting that the dryer’s lint trap should be cleaned after every use.

He explained that the lint trap and vent are different: The trap is usually at the front of the dryer, either in the door or on top. While the vent is usually located at the back, connected to a blower and a transmission in the wall; in most cases, inaccessible to the user. 

The type of clothing material is another factor, as some fabrics might overheat easily depending on the temperature setting. Hawxhurst recommends checking the washing instructions printed on clothing tags and not overloading the dryer. Sometimes, he says, there may be a problem inside the dryer, including electrical issues. It all depends on the manufacturer.

In the North Tower Laundry Room of Glades Park Towers, the report stated a student resident overloaded a rental dryer with clothes and used a higher temperature than recommended by the manufacturer, causing a fire on April 2, 2023. There were no injuries or damage to the building.

A student set a fire similarly in the same residential hall on Sept. 14, 2022. The report also details that they did not clean the lint filter and ran the dryer for multiple hours. No damages were reported. 

To prevent fire hazards, Hawxhurst advises always checking your clothes for items in the pockets before loading them into the dryer. The worst case in the report shows a dryer fire in Heritage Park Towers on Oct. 13, 2021, where the student allegedly left a lighter in the clothing pocket. 

There were no injuries from the fire, but there was damage to the property, totaling $44,696. The student also overloaded the dryer with clothes, did not clean the filter and left it unattended for hours.

Hawxhurst said that since lighters are usually made of plastic, the heat can cause it to explode when the dryer starts running. This happens because there’s a fuel source inside, he says, and when combined with extreme heat, it creates a perfect setup for a fire. 

A fire is considered an emergency and should immediately be reported to 911. Glanzer stated in an email to the University Press that if a fire ever occurs, anyone nearby should pull a fire alarm to help ensure the safety of the residential community. He mentioned that residents are instructed on how to use all facilities and equipment to avoid any incidents.

“No student should attempt to put out a fire unless they are certain it is something they can successfully contain. Fire extinguishers are located throughout all residential facilities as required by law, and all our buildings have a fire suppression sprinkler system,” wrote Glanzer in the Jan. 21 email. 

Kathleen Gardner, executive director of housing and residential education, wrote in a Feb. 11 email to the UP that over 1,100 fire extinguishers are present in the residential halls and apartments on campus. 

All five residential halls, including University Village Apartments, have 120 community dryers, according to Gardner. Meanwhile, Innovation Village Apartments has a washer and dryer in every unit, totaling 375 dryers.

Walter Starks, a senior and residential assistant for Innovation Village Apartments North, stated that Housing and Residential Education does not go into much detail about how to properly use the washer and dryer appliances for both new and existing residents. 

“But there were instances where a dryer or washer might not work, so the resident would come up and say, ‘This is not working,’” said Starks. “Then, I would put in a work order, and we would have to wait for maintenance to come and fix it.”

He mentioned overfilling the dryers could lead to the machines not working properly, but this also applies to washers as well.

“I think the biggest thing is not to overfill it, especially if you are not in IVA where you have your own washer and dryer. You might tend to do smaller loads to avoid overfilling it,” he said. 

Hawxhurst recommends that, whether the students live on-campus or in a residential home, it is their responsibility to clean the lint trap after every use. However, the vents should be cleaned by a professional once a year.

“But in my opinion, it’s definitely the property owner’s responsibility to have the dryer’s vent cleaned,” he said. “So, making sure everything is code-compliant, fireproof and fire-resistant to cover everything in that realm should fall under the responsibility of the campus or the property owner.”

Michael Cook is the Managing Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email michael17cook@gmail.com.