Editor’s Note: This is the final article of a three-part series on how to get local homes ready for a safe and comfortable holiday season.

You know never to leave candles unattended and to toss your Christmas tree as soon as it starts to dry out, but did you know there’s another culprit of house fires that can devastate a home in no time at all?

The dryer.

The winter months often bring wet weather. Add to that the normal laundry routine and that means some families’ dryers are putting in overtime to keep up.

“Most people are amazed at how much lint builds up behind their dryer,” said Randy Kienast, owner of California Air Duct Cleaning. “Cleaning the lint tray before or after each cycle is great, but it’s not enough to keep it from building up.”

All it takes is a dryer coil to overheat or a spark to ignite a particle of lint to start a fire behind a dryer that can lead through the air ducts in the wall of the home.

Ryan Brother’s Chimney Sweeping owner Amie Ryan said she has known two families to have homes burn to the ground because of clogged dryer vents.

“Lint is extremely flammable and a dryer vent fire can devastate a home in nothing flat,” Ryan said. “Dryer vents should be cleaned every two to three years and that process should include a full vacuum.”

So how do you know if it’s time to move beyond just cleaning the lint tray?

Kienast suggests taking a peek behind the dryer if you notice a buildup of lint, dryer sheets and dust it could be an indication of a hole or poor connection between the hose connecting your dryer to the vent.

“Also, if it’s taking you more than one or two cycles to properly dry a load of wash it could mean your vents are clogged,” Kienast said.

Running your dryer repeatedly with clogged air vents can restrict airflow into the dryer running up energy costs and causing it to overheat or break down sooner than normal.

Roseville homeowner Elizabeth Winters had a full inspection and vacuum of her dryer hoses and vents before installing her brand new washer and dryer in her new home.

“I couldn’t believe how much stuff was stuck in there,” Winters said. “It’s amazing a dryer can even work around all that gunk.”

Even after all the safety measures and precautions to safeguard your family, a home’s first line of defense is working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

The United States Fire Administration says smoke detectors should be tested monthly and batteries replaced as necessary or as the owner’s manual prescribes.

Cobwebs and dust should also be vacuumed away from smoke detectors regularly as it can set off a false alarm.

Roseville Fire Marshal Dennis Mathisen suggests homeowners check and change batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in November at the same time they switch their clocks back for daylight saving.

“The holidays are an important time to have your detectors checked and working properly,” Mathisen said. “People are cooking more, there are fires in the fireplace and Christmas trees all are a potential for house fires.”

Also because furnaces and heating appliances see most of their use in the winter months, Mathisen said it’s best to test carbon monoxide detectors before heavy use.

Sun City residents Lucille Forsberg and her daughter, Carita Connelly, have their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors checked like clockwork.

“We are really well taken care of,” Connelly said. “We are on a program through PG&E that comes out and checks our detectors so we don’t even worry about it.”

To test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, Mathisen said all a homeowner has to do is press the test button.

“I don’t recommend lighting a match and blowing it out near the detector or using any sprays,” Mathisen said. “The test button is there for a reason.”