More than 180 residents of a building in Aberdeen were evacuated overnight after a dehumidifier burst into flames, after what was believed to be a short circuit.
The blaze began at about 4am in a flat on the 10th floor of Lei Chak House at Ap Lei Chau Estate. The family that owned the dehumidifier fled their flat and called police after their daughter was awakened by heavy smoke coming from the kitchen.
The dehumidifier had been running overnight in recent days to dry clothes, according to Apple Daily, and had been on for several hours before the fire broke out.
Residents returned to their homes shortly after the flames were put out in about 25 minutes.
Fires caused by faulty dehumidifiers are common in the humid city. The last such case happened on June 13, forcing some 200 people to evacuate to the street in To Kwa Wan during the No.8 typhoon signal. The incident was the third such case in just two weeks, Oriental Daily reports.
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department has reminded the city’s dehumidifier users to clean the air filter regularly to ensure that the air intake and outlet grills as well as the humidity sensor are not obstructed. Meanwhile, there should be sufficient space for movement of air around the dehumidifier while in operation, and it should not be placed in the bathroom or below dripping clothes.
The Consumer Council has also advised users to ensure their appliance has automatic humidity control, which stops and restarts the device as necessary.
