Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) says it has investigated 670 fires involving laundry appliances over the past five years — most of them related to dryers. But recent incidents involving washing machines are raising new concerns.
Two Ontario homeowners told that their LG washing machines unexpectedly caught fire, nearly destroying their homes.
“We could have all died,” said Chandra Lake of Brampton, recalling a terrifying moment last fall when her three-year-old LG washer caught fire. Her daughter had just started a load of laundry and was about to leave for the grocery store when she noticed smoke rising from the basement.
Emergency services were called, and firefighters quickly extinguished the fire. Investigators suggested the washer’s drum may have seized, causing the motor to overheat and ignite due to friction.
The ordeal left Lake’s family shaken. “Just doing a load of laundry could have killed everyone in the house,” she said.
Medoa contacted LG Canada on the family’s behalf. The company responded, stating:
“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.”
Another homeowner, Domenic Tetro of Cambridge, had a similar experience in April when his four-year-old LG washing machine also caught fire before finishing its cycle.
“Before the load was finished, it essentially burst into flames,” he said.
Tetro credited two fire extinguishers for preventing the fire from spreading. He says he now views laundry appliances very differently.
“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.”
LG Canada also addressed Tetro’s case, saying, “This issue has been resolved. The customer was contacted, and a replacement unit was provided.”
