‘We could have all died’: 2 Ontario families horrified after washing machines suddenly catch fire

Two Ontario homeowners contacted CTV News after their washing machines caught on fire, almost burning their homes down.

Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) says it investigated 670 fires involving dryers and washing machines over a five-year period.

While most of those fires involved dryers, two Ontario homeowners contacted CTV News after their washing machines caught fire, almost burning their homes down.

“We could have all died,” said Chandra Lake of Brampton.

It was last fall when Lake’s three-year-old LG washing machine caught on fire.

Lake told CTV News her daughter had been doing laundry and was about to leave the house to buy groceries when she noticed smoke coming from the basement.

The family called 911 and firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze.

“They determined the drum might have seized and the motor was running and the friction might have caused the fire,” said Lake.

For Lake’s family, it was a traumatic experience.

“Just doing a load of laundry could have killed everyone in the house.

When CTV News reached out to LG Canada on Lake’s behalf, a spokesperson said in a statement, “LG has been directly in touch with the customer. The unit was purchased ‘as-is’ and LG was not able to confirm the condition of the unit, or whether the unit was ever serviced previously. LG has since taken the unit back and sent it to our headquarters team to analyze. No fault was found, nor has any other incident of this nature been reported. The unit was replaced with a brand-new product at no expense to the customer.”

But, another homeowner told CTV News they had a similar experience.

“Before the load was finished, it essentially burst into flames,” said Domenic Tetro of Cambridge.

Tetro said his four-year-old LG washing machine also caught on fire in April. Fortunately, his family had two fire extinguishers and were able to put out the blaze.

He said it’s a lesson to never leave your washer or dryer operating unattended.

“You would never think you need to keep your washing machine attended at all times, but now I have a new life long fear. We will never leave them unattended again,” said Tetro.

In Tetro’s case, LG Canada told CTV News, “This issue has been resolved. The customer was contacted, and a replacement unit was provided.”

Uncommon, but can happen

“It is uncommon but washing machines can catch on fire. It can happen,” said Melissa Cicceocelli, Acting Division Chief for the Public Education and Professional Development Division with Toronto Fire Services.

According to the OFM, between 2019 and 2023 there have been 22 washing machine fires and 648 dryer fires in the province.

To avoid fires in the laundry room, the OFM recommends checking the washer and dryer cords for damage and making sure outlets have ground fault interrupters (GFCIS), inspecting and cleaning the lint trap after each load, checking the outdoor vent to ensure its unobstructed, and always turn the washer and dryer off if you leave home or go to bed.

It’s also recommended to never overload the machines as it can wear them out faster, and never use extension cords to avoid overheating.

“We want to make sure we are installing our smoke alarms and testing them and having a fire escape plan as well,” said Cicceocelli.

While both washing machines in these instances were LG models, there were no indications as to whether the fires were connected.

In the end, both Lake and Tetro were satisfied to get replacement washing machines, but they are hoping for more answers too.