Appliance fires on the rise across the country

(WXYZ) - Our partners at Consumer Reports have new information on how thousands of appliances of all kinds catch fire each year.

Home appliances cause an estimated 150,000 fires and 150 deaths a year. A new investigation by Consumer Reports magazine has turned up disturbing findings: Many are caused by defective appliances.

At least one fire that spread through a home started in a toaster.

"It was just horrendous, just horrendous. What wasn't destroyed by fire was destroyed by smoke and water damage," says homeowner Beverly Uberti.      

One fire, homeowners say, started in their dishwasher. According to fire officials another fire started in a microwave, even though it wasn't in use.

Consumer Reports magazine reviewed 69,000 reports of appliance fires, and found a significant number were not caused by human error.

“We found at least 23 percent are clearly attributable to problems with the appliances - mechanical, electrical, or design flaws,” says Dan Diclerico, who is with Consumer Reports. “In some instances, the appliances turned on by themselves."

The faulty appliances causing the most fires were ranges, dryers, air conditioners, refrigerators, and dishwashers. To check if an appliance you own has been recalled, you can go to recalls.gov .

So why so many recalls?

"Appliances have gotten a lot more complex, so much more can go wrong. And many recalled products are being manufactured abroad, the majority in China," says Diclerico.

Until these issues are all resolved, Consumer Reports says don't run your dryer or dishwasher overnight or when you're away.

What you can do to protect yourself is to make sure you register any electrical appliance with the manufacturer. That way if it is recalled you'll be alerted, and your family will stay safe.