Dryer caused house fire at Kaikohe property, Northland fire investigator says

Clothes with oil on them inside a dryer sparked a house fire in which a person received minor injuries while escaping the flames.

Emergency services were called to a “well-involved” house fire on Thorpe Rd, Kaikohe at 1.33am on Monday.

Two adults and a child were at home when the blaze started, one of whom, a man, received minor burns as the trio escaped to safety.

Firefighters from Kaikohe, Ōkaihau and Kawakawa were able to bring the blaze under control within two hours.

Fire investigator Jason Goffin said the fire started in the laundry room and was caused by a “spontaneous combustion” within the dryer.

“People need to be mindful of putting oily clothes in a dryer and ensure that the lint trap in the dryer is emptied regularly to avoid such kind of fire.”

Goffin said the situation was made worse through the house lacking any working smoke alarms and the occupants not having a proper escape plan.

The recent house fire is the second one caused by a dryer this month after damp linen inside a switched-off dryer started a garage fire and caused a solo mum to lose everything in Tikipunga, Whangārei on November 17.

Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.