It can happen in a flash and you may not even be around to see it. Your home clothes dryer is a time-saver but it can also destroy your home.

It seems like one of the safest spots in the house, but it's not. As many as 16,000 fires start in home laundry rooms every year and the culprit is inside your clothes dryer.

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John Welsh's home was destroyed in a fire that started in the clothes dryer.

"My wife put laundry in about 11:15 at night. By 11:25 the house was ablaze," said Welsh.

Fire officials say lint that had built up in the dryer duct caught fire.

"We lost everything that we had," said Welsh.

Fortunately, John, his wife and daughter managed to escape, but fires like this are all too common.

"As many as 20 people a year die in fires linked to clothes dryers. And that's sad because it's an avoidable situation," said Jim Nanni of Consumer Reports.

Flexible ducts made of foil or plastic pose the most serious problems. They can sag, letting lint build up at a low point. And ridges can also trap lint.

Far safer are metal ducts, either flexible or solid. These don't sag, so lint is less likely to build up. And if a fire does start, a metal duct is more likely to contain it.

Using metal dryer ducts can help prevent something like this from happening to your home.

In addition to installing the right kind of dyer duct, you should clean it regularly so lint like this doesn't build up. Not only will this reduce the risk of fire, it will also mean you'll use less energy and your clothes will dry faster.