Restaurant tumble-dryer fire stopped by firefighters

Firefighters are reminding businesses to check their fire safety risks after a tumble-dryer caught fire at a restaurant in Rugeley.

At 6.55pm on Sunday (15 January), a witness reported seeing smoke coming from the restaurant.

We sent two crews from Cannock and Rugeley to the scene, equipped with breathing apparatus and a hose reel jet to tackle the blaze.

Firefighters looked to find the source of the smoke and quickly found a tumble-dryer which had caught fire in the kitchen. It was quickly removed and doused down with water to make it safe. 

After clearing the building of excess smoke, we quickly found out that the cause was accidental and nobody had been injured.

The tumble drier had been left on to dry tea towels when it caught fire. It has been left unattended but luckily the fire did not spread to the surrounding area.

Thankfully, the building was not damaged.

Crew Manager Mark Downes, who attended the incident, said: “Accidents in the workplace can easily happen, which is why we are taking this opportunity to remind businesses to make sure they regularly check fire safety risks around their property.

“Usually, faulty electrics and equipment are the most common causes of accidental fires in businesses. They can happen without warning and need to be checked frequently to make sure there are no signs of damage or overheating.

“It is vital that a fire risk assessment has been carried out in order to meet the legislations for businesses and to mitigate the risks of them falling victim to accidental fires.”

If you are a business and need to speak to our dedicated support team, please get in touch with us by calling 01785 898916.

For more guidance on how to spot fire hazards in a business or workplace, visit: Business safety (staffordshirefire.gov.uk)