Is your clothes dryer a fuse for a potential house fire? If that load of towels is still wet after tumbling for an hour in your dryer, you have an issue. Either your dryer is malfunctioning, or you have a wad of lint packed so tightly in your dryer vent tube, it could be used as a fuse to light the rest of the house on fire. Memorial Day weekend, Sherry Smoot's house "exploded," according to witnesses. "It was a big blaze coming from the back, then it exploded again," said Hope Shaw, a neighbor who witnessed the fire. Smoot could not be reached for comment, but everyone living in her house got out safely thanks to a well-maintained smoke detector, according to the fire investigator's report. But the report also revealed the fire's cause:  a faulty dryer, with the possibility of a poorly maintained dryer vent. said in 2006, there were an estimated 17,700 fires involving clothes dryers in the U.S. The blazes killed 15 people, injured 360 and caused $194 million in property damage.

According to the NFPA, the leading contributor to 29 percent of the fires was the failure to clean the dryer vents. We know to change the lint traps inside our dryers after every load, but lint also builds up inside the dryer duct - that Slinky-looking thing, connecting the dryer to the vent - and inside the vent tube leading to the exhaust on the side of the house. Duct expert Carl Greenway said homeowners should locate the dryer exhaust outside their homes and place their hands under the cover. There should be either an open hole, the end of the vent, or a flap that stays up when there's a clear path for the dryer's hot air to pass. "If that flap is down, and they put their hand there and cannot feel any air, it's a good reason to call me," said Greenway. He said homeowners should also consider installing "critter cages" on their dryer exhausts to keep animals from crawling into the vents. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommended these tips for preventing dryer fires:

CLEAN THE LINT SCREEN/FILTER BEFORE OR AFTER DRYING EACH LOAD OF CLOTHES. CLEAN THE DRYER VENT AND EXHAUST DUCT PERIODICALLY. CLEAN BEHIND THE DRYER, WHERE LINT CAN BUILD UP. REPLACE THE PLASTIC OR FOIL, ACCORDION-TYPE DUCT WITH A RIGID OR CORRUGATED SEMI-RIGID METAL DUCT. Most manufacturers specify the use of a rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct, which provides maximum air-flow. The plastic or foil duct is more susceptible to kinking or crushing. TAKE SPECIAL CARE WHEN DRYING CLOTHES THAT HAVE BEEN SOILED WITH VOLATILE CHEMICALS. Wash those clothes more than once, and preferably, hang them to dry. The NFPA also recommended: * When moving into a new home, it is vital that new homeowners should ask the age of the dryer vent, its size and where it exits the home. * Homeowners should also inquire about when the dryer vents and air ducts were last cleaned and request that the vent is cleaned before moving. * For those living in condos, where dryer vents can make 180-degree turns, it is easier and more cost effective to simply replace the flex duct rather than clean it.

* Have dryer vents inspected and cleaned annually. Regular dryer vent cleaning promotes dryer safety and efficiency. Homes with pets and dryers that are used several times a week may require special attention.quality control air duct cleaning royal oak mi Horry County Fire Rescue units responded to a structure fire near Galivants Ferry Friday night.kenmore tower air cleaner reviewHorry County Fire Rescue units responded to a structure fire near Galivants Ferry Friday night.air duct cleaning quincy maThe Vice President of Boeing talked about the company’s own success story to help influence businesses in the Pee Dee. A story we first told you about last month has parents frustrated once again. The Horry County School Board has decided to move forward with a new policy that will strip mid-year graduates of several things, including the right to attend prom.

The Horry County School Board has decided to move forward with a new policy that will strip mid-year graduates of several things, including the right to attend prom.Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes is back from his ninth trip to China, which he calls his most informative trip yet.  Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes is back from his ninth trip to China, which he calls his most informative trip yet. EXTRA POINT SCOREBOARD for Friday, September 23rd. Myrtle Beach 13 Conway 8 Extra Point Game of the Week Loris 0 Carolina Forest 21 Carvers Bay 46 Kingstree 6 Darlington 7 South Florence 56 Dillon 54 Marlboro County 14 EXTRA POINT SCOREBOARD for Friday, September 23rd. Myrtle Beach 13 Conway 8 Extra Point Game of the Week Loris 0 Carolina Forest 21 Carvers Bay 46 Kingstree 6 Darlington 7 South Florence 56 Dillon 54 Marlboro County 14  Five people have been killed after a shooting at a mall on Friday night in Burlington, WA, police said. The shooter has not been caught.Five people have been killed after a shooting at a mall on Friday night in Burlington, WA, police said.

A card from a viewer recently brought KPLC Sunrise anchor Britney Glaser. Her eloquent response in her blog, Britney Off-Script, has been met with an outpouring of support: We were in a commercial break during our morning newscast.  It was 6:40 and my co-anchor, John, made a quick trip to the KPLC mail room to pick up the mail of the day. Sometimes it's an encouraging card from a viewer, a news release about an upcoming event, there are the random letters from inmates, and so...A Colorado woman is stabbed in her arm by her pet dog, causing a four inch gash. Police say the dog will not face charges, because it's a dog.  Police say the dog will not face charges, because it's a dog. A police source confirms to WBTV that a gun reportedly found near the body of Keith Lamont Scott has Scott's fingerprints, DNA and blood on it. The source also told WBTV the case in the gun was loaded.Those of us in the news business - we're storytellers. And most of the time, it's us telling somebody else's story.