Dryer catches fire at Foster motel

AN LPG-powered industrial-size dryer caught fire in the laundry of a Foster motel on Tuesday afternoon March 29, 2021, burning the load it contained and causing “a fair bit of smoke damage”.

Both the Foster and the Toora Country Fire Authority (CFA) brigades responded to the call from the Prom Country Lodge on the South Gippsland Highway at Foster that was received at about 3.30 pm.

However the Toora CFA unit was turned back prior to arriving at the scene as an initial assessment indicated that the situation could be dealt with by the Foster CFA acting on its own.

Foster CFA senior firefighter James McIntyre said the contents of a large gas-fired dryer had ignited, and that the mechanical workings of the machine appeared to have been destroyed by the flames and heat.

“The actual blaze was put out using a water-stored fire extinguisher,” he said.

“Smoke could be seen coming through the gable of the roof above the laundry.

“ A fair bit of smoke damage could be seen inside the laundry itself, though only a limited amount of water damage occurred,” Mr McIntyre said.

“While the cause of the fire is not as yet clear, it is a timely reminder to ensure lint filters on electrical appliances are kept clean at all times.

“Now that the cooler weather is coming along, it’s also important to remember that drying clothes in front of the loungeroom fire or a heater does bring an increased risk,” he said.

“We urge all residents to change the batteries in smoke alarms at least once a year, ideally in autumn, with daylight saving ending as the prompt, and certainly well before winter sets in properly.”

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