'Killer tumble dryers' are not the biggest fire-risk in the home, research shows

Cigarettes and other smokers' materials are the leading cause of deaths by fire

Tumble dryers are not even the most dangerous household appliance, let alone the biggest fire risk in the home (PA)

Desperate families will be queuing to get into their nearest out-of-town retail park this weekend to return "killer tumble dryers", after a series of front page headlines warning people of the murderous appliance in their utility room.

Data obtained by the Mirror using the Freedom of Information Act shows that 926 fires caused by dryers were reported to emergency services between 2011 and 2013 – equal to 309 a year.

The story follows product warnings by Whirlpool, Indesit and Hotpoint in November, stating that a “significant” number of millions of dryers in households around the UK could pose a fire risk.

The problem occurs when excess lint gets stuck on the element.

In fact, tumble dryers are not even the most dangerous household appliance, let alone the biggest fire risk in the home.

Research by Which?, the consumer site, showed that washing machines accounted for the greatest number of appliance fires in the home between 2011 and 2014.

(Which?)

Washing machines accounted for 1,723 fires between 2011 and 2014, while tumble dryers accounted for 1,456. Dishwashers followed close behind, causing 1,324 fires.

Government data shows that cooking appliances are a much bigger fire risk.

Cooking appliances are responsible for more than half of accidental fires in the home

(Government data)

But for every 1,000 fires started in cooking appliances, there were only two fatalities - a total of 30 deaths between 2013-2014.

For every 1,000 accidental dwelling fires caused by smokers’ materials, 34 people were killed in 2013-14, making cigarettes and other smokers' materials the leading cause of deaths by fire.

Smokers’ materials including cigarettes, cigars or pipe tobacco were the most common cause of accidental house fires, accounting for over a third of all accidental house fire deaths in 2013-14.

Fatalities from fires have fallen dramatically

(Government data)

The number of deaths from fires has also fallen dramatically over the last thirty years.

In 2013-14, there were 322 fire-related fatalities in Great Britain, a reduction of 20 deaths from the previous year and 645 deaths from the peak of 967 in 1985/86.

That means the likelihood of dying in a fire is far less than it used to be.

But if you are planning to return a tumble dryer this weekend, you'd be well advised to make sure all the cigarettes are properly stubbed out before you leave the house.