(Photo Courtesy: Chino Valley Fire District)
A Firefighter suppresses the last of the flames at a residential structure fire in the early morning hours of Feb. 24.

Staff Reports

Chino Hills – Chino Valley Fire District Firefighters responded to a single-family residential structure fire on the 17800 block of Lone Ranger Trail in Chino Hills just after 3 a.m. on Tues., Feb. 24.

Firefighters on scene found a working fire in the garage with some extension into the home.  Two vehicles inside of the garage were destroyed. The two residents of the home were displaced due to smoke damage throughout the home.

The Fire District’s Community Liaison Officer is assisting the homeowners through the recovery process.  Chino Valley Fire District Investigators determined the cause of the fire was the dryer.  Damage was estimated at $150,000.

The Fire District encourages residents to check and clean their home dryers.  Lint can build up in your dryer or in the exhaust duct over time, blocking airflow and causing excessive heat buildup that can result in a fire.  Below are some safety tips to help prevent a dryer fire in your home.

• Have your dryer installed and serviced by a professional.
• Do not use the dryer without a lint filter.
• Make sure you clean the lint filter before or after each load of laundry. Remove lint that has collected around the drum.
• Make sure the air exhaust vent pipe is not restricted and the outdoor vent flap will open when the dryer is operating. Once a year, or more often if you notice that it is taking longer than normal for your clothes to dry, clean lint out of the vent pipe or have a dryer lint removal service do it for you.