Appliance fires: Step homebuyers often miss

BROOKFIELD, Wis. - It’s a step many people overlook when buying a house. But a little online research goes a long way toward keeping your family safe.

One Brookfield woman is sharing the lessons she learned after a tragic day from her past flashed before her eyes.

It was Karina Willes’ 12th birthday on January 22nd, 1982, when her family’s house near Appleton was destroyed by fire. The fire ignited when gasoline from a snowmobile leaked and ran toward the home’s gas water heater.

Willes says she was putting on snow boots when the fire started. Hearing the sound, she jumped out of her boots. Her mother told her to run over to their neighbors’ house to call the fire department.

"I was in socks and ran to the neighbors’ house through snow drifts that were four feet, five feet tall," recalls Willes. "It was something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life."

Forty years later, in June 2022, Willes’ feelings from her 12th birthday came rushing back. She and her wife heard a loud popping noise in their kitchen and found black smoke streaming from the dishwasher.

"The panel behind the dishwasher, you could see flames," said Kami Young, Willes’ wife.

Seeing the flames, Willes was in a state of shock.

"I was just fumbling, trying to get the fire extinguisher, and I didn’t know how to do it," said Willes.

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After turning off the home’s power, Young grabbed the extinguisher from Willes and put out the fire.

The cause of the fire was electrical failure in the control panel of a recalled Bosch dishwasher. The appliance came with the house when Willes and Young moved in five years ago.

Willes says they never thought to look into whether their appliances were under a recall. They’re not alone.

"We come into contact with those [fires] quite often. More often than you’d think," said Mark Semancik, deputy chief of operations at the Brookfield Fire Department.

Semancik says Willes’ fire wasn’t even their only dishwasher fire that week.

"We did have another one with the same brand dishwasher," said Semancik.

The other fire happened two days prior, just one mile away on the same street.

The director of corporate communications at BSH Home Appliances Corporation, Lore McKenna, tells Contact 6 in a statement:

".. When consumers move into a new home, it is recommended that the consumer check their appliance manufacturer’s website to determine if they are part of any recall. Consumers should also check the Consumer Product Safety Commission website for all recalls at CPSC.gov."

Semancik says a recall isn’t always to blame when an appliance catches fire. Often, it’s user neglect or error.

"Sometimes we have a product that drops down from the [dishwasher] top rack down onto the heating mechanism. That'll catch on fire, ends up causing a lot of smoke," said Semancik.

Contact 6 emailed several fire departments asking for data on appliance fires since 2021. North Shore Fire/Rescue reported five appliance fires within that timeframe, none of them dishwashers. The City of Sheboygan Fire Department reported one washing machine fire in 2021 and two ovens that caught fire in 2022.

The City of Franklin Fire Department has responded to one dehumidifier fire since 2021. The Menomonee Falls Fire Department responded to one stovetop fire in 2022 that may have been caused by a product defect.

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"We responded to a handful of appliance related fires, however most are related to human error," wrote Don Umhoefer, Deputy Fire Chief of the Menomonee Falls Fire Department. "Many of these could be eliminated with fire-safe kitchen practices and with routine cleaning/removal of lint buildup from clothes dryer exhaust ducts."

Consumer takeaways from Willes’ experience include the importance of having a working fire extinguisher and knowing how to use it. Also, checking your smoke detectors twice a year to make sure they’re working. And, avoiding running appliances at night or when no one is home.

Willes wrote to Contact 6 in September asking for help with a settlement check from Bosch. It took a few months, but she finally got money from both her insurance company and Bosch amounting to $2,198.50.

Full statement from Lore McKenna, Director, Corporate Communications, BSH Home Appliances Corporation

"BSH Home Appliances is committed to the highest standards of safety, quality and craftsmanship, and we have a long-standing history of providing consumers with appliances that uphold the highest safety and quality standards.  For product recall inquiries, we encourage customers to contact us at 1-800-944-2904 for 24/7 support or email BoschCare@BSHG.com.

"We also encourage consumers to always register their household appliances. By registering your appliance, the manufacturer is able to notify registered customers in the event of a recall. When consumers move into a new home, it is recommended that the consumer check their appliance manufacturer’s website to determine if they are part of any recall. Consumers should also check the Consumer Product Safety Commission website for any recalls at CPSC.gov."