Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched Friday to a home in east Chattanooga for a residential fire.

When they arrived, they discovered smoke coming from the rear of the home.

Once they entered the home, smoke was found in the living room and kitchen area, where a laundry room was located.

A washer and dryer in the home were moved away from the home's walls into the center of the room by the resident who said he began to smell and see smoke while drying his clothes.

Once the appliances were moved, he called 911.

In the rear of the dryer, he saw flames.

“This shows the importance of cleaning clothes dryers as they are a contributing factor to residential fires,” said Captain Waddie Suttles, incident commander.

The National Fire Protection Association offers these tips for clothes dryer safety in your home:

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