Ankeny Fire Department issues warning after 2 homes catch fire from bathroom vent fans
Two back-to-back fires started from bathroom ventilation fans are a cause for concern, according to the Ankeny Fire Department.
The first fire on June 5 was in an Ankeny residence while no one was home. The fire, which was in the attic of the home, caused significant damage, according to the Ankeny Fire Department.
The cause was determined to be the bathroom ventilation system.
"We had evidence that the fire had started at the vent fan due to the amount of damage in the area," Ankeny Fire Marshal Craig Van Huel told the Register.
The next day, a fire happened at a home in Alleman, a town just north of Ankeny. It also started because of a bathroom fan.
"That fire was reported by the resident that it started in the vent fan," Van Huel said.
The Ankeny Fire Department warns homeowners to take action before their homes go up in flames. Van Huel said it's as simple as regular maintenance.
"They need to be cleaned out and maintained and checked every so often," Van Huel said. "If they start to make weird noises or they're louder than they have been in the past, it needs to be looked into."
Van Huel also said a strong electrical odor or a burning plastic smell can be an indicator of issues that need to be fixed.
"They are an electrical appliance, so that could be a failure point as well," Van Huel said. "A lot of that may come back to the amount of dust and lint and other debris that ends up inside of them from running and not being cleaned."
While some fans have an on-and-off switch and aren't meant to run 24 hours a day, some do run continuously and need to be checked on.
"Cleaning them, maintaining them and making sure that they're still in good working order," is the best way to prevent these types of fires, Van Huel said.
Bathroom ventilation fans should be checked out and cleaned every six months to prevent fires.
Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How often to clean your bathroom ventilation fan to prevent fire
