A mum-of-five has told how she was left standing in the rain watching her home burn after a tumble dryer set alight. Mandy Ebury and her family were left homeless after the nightmare at the end of last year.
Mandy described the harrowing ordeal which destroyed their property in Basingstoke, Hampshire. She said: “It was a Saturday in late November, a normal day just like any other. I decided to tumble dry our washing. I loaded the dryer and set it to its usual setting. About 10 minutes later my daughter called out saying she could smell burning.”
She continued, recounting the chilling moment smoke filled her house: “As I walked into the hallway, I was met by thick black smoke coming from behind the tumble dryer. I screamed and screamed to the kids to get out of the house.”
She told how her daughter, Lola, helped make sure Mandy’s son who is autistic escaped the blaze, as well the family’s four dogs before calling the fire brigade. She added: “I don’t know how she managed to stay so calm.”
The family watched helplessly as their home was consumed by fire, she told Surrey Live. She said: “We all left the house in a state of blind panic and I could see the flames getting bigger. Within minutes the fire service arrived. As they opened the front door, we could see nothing but fire.
“We were led further from the house and all we could do was stand there in the rain watching as our home burned. My son and I had no shoes on.
“We stood in the rain dumbstruck. One of our neighbours came out and took us into her home, where she supplied hot tea.
“I felt afraid and anxious and angry because I felt I hadn’t been able to save my family’s home from the fire. I will never forget that day. It will be with me forever.”
“After the fire we seemed to be in a ‘no man’s land’ of emotions. It hadn’t quite sunk in that we were homeless. We were very much in shock.”
Left homeless by the blade they were eventually placed into temporary accommodation made up of two rooms in a hotel over the festive period.
Mandy shared, “This is where we spent Christmas together. We tried to make the best of a bad situation, brought a small tree and put gifts under it.”
She continued, “It was hard trying to stay positive but we did it. Being a close-knit family really helped us through this time. We’re still in our rooms. The housing association are doing their best but it’s definitely one of the worst New Years I’ve experienced. It’s going to be a while before we get our home back, maybe even a year.”
The ordeal has taken its toll having a “huge impact” on the family’s mental health. Mandy said: “My daughter has counselling now. The images will never go away.”
Mandy’s story comes as she aims to raise awareness about the dangers of white goods, following new government statistics that reveal fires involving household appliances happen on average three times daily in England. Electrical Safety First says Home Office data shows there were 1,140 accidental electrical fires involving household white goods like tumble dryers and washing machines across England last year.
During the charity’s annual awareness week, chief executive Lesley Rudd said: “Fires of any type can ruin lives, by damaging physical and mental health, destroying homes and putting lives at risk. It’s easy to forget that they can start from the very appliances we interact with on a daily basis in our homes.”
The report notes that while there has been a steady decline in such fires over the past four years, more than half of England’s 43 fire and rescue service regions reported an increase in white goods-related incidents. Dires involving washing machines went up by 7% compared to the previous year.
Greater London topped the list with a concerning number of incidents—there were 186 accidental electrical fires involving white goods recorded, averaging three every week. Other areas with high numbers include the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Devon and Somerset, as well as Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The charity has issued an urgent warning to households about the dangers of fires caused by white goods due to various factors such as poor ventilation and faulty wiring. Lesley Rudd explained: “Fires from white goods can be caused by many different factors including, poor ventilation, wiring that may become damaged, a lack of maintenance, faults as well as overloaded extension leads if an appliance is connected through one.
“We can all take just a few minutes to reduce the chances of one of these frightening fires from happening in our homes. Make sure you regularly clean lint filters on dryers and register appliances so that in the event they are recalled you can be contacted by the manufacturer.”
“Check to make sure cables are not damaged and avoid using extension leads, which might become overloaded and increase the risk of a fire occurring. Fires can be particularly dangerous if they happen when you are sleeping, so if you can, avoid running your appliance at night as your ability to respond quickly to a fire will be decreased.”
“Don’t forget that fire alarms save lives, so it’s imperative you have one on every floor of your property so that in the event a fire occurs, you are alerted to it as soon as possible and can escape the building.”
Leanne Haynes, hailing from Warwickshire in the West Midlands, recounts her narrow escape when her tumble dryer ignited while she was asleep, just days before Christmas. She recalled the terrifying incident: “I woke up confused at around 4am to the sound of the carbon monoxide alarm at first, followed by the fire alarm.
“That’s when I realised the tumble dryer had gone up in smoke. Luckily, my carer, was asleep on the sofa downstairs, where he managed to jump into action, dragging the tumble dryer outside in the rain – seconds later it was on fire.
“Seeing the smoke was horrible – but the worst part was the flames – and watching how the fire engulfed the tumble dryer so quickly. It was one of the worst things I’ve ever had to go through.”
Leanne added: “I also suffer with a nerve condition meaning my mobility is limited. It’s scary to think what would have happened if it had gone up in flames inside the house as I don’t know how I would have got out.”
The fire is believed to have started from an electrical fault as the dryer was simply plugged in and switched on at that time.
Reflecting on the aftermath, Leanne said, “Since it’s happened, everybody I’ve told has said they’re changing their habits, and now we turn everything off before we sleep.”
The fire has left indelible scars on her family, as the mother explained: “We inhaled a lot of smoke at the time, but we’ve all recovered physically at least. It’s really taken a toll on my daughter, and she’s scared it’s going to happen again and is constantly checking all the plug sockets are turned off. We even didn’t have candles at our Christmas table because of her fear of fire now.”
But it’s not only the emotional cost that’s worrying; there’s a hefty financial burden too. According to data from Electrical Safety First provided by Admiral Home Insurance, the typical insurance claim for white goods fires over the past three years sits at a staggering £36,870.
And that’s not the worst of it – the top claim recorded by the insurer for such incidents reached just shy of £290,000. Tumble dryers are the culprits behind over half (51%) of these claims, followed closely by dishwashers, which account for almost a quarter (24%).
