Disabled house owner delivers warning after dishwasher bursts into a fireball.

Disabled Catherine Thomas issues a New Year’s Day warning over dishwashers catching fire after recovering from smoke inhalation that saw her nearly not make 2023.

Catherine, who suffers from MS and hobbles on a stick, was flabbergasted yesterday afternoon as she sat in her favourite armchair knitting when she thought she could smell smoke.

As she hobbled into the kitchen, she was shocked to see black smoke filling her newly fitted kitchen – coughing and spluttering on the heavy, dense smoke; she fell to the floor for air, managing to press her ’emergency call button’ on her lanyard.

Fortunately for the disabled grandmother, her devoted husband, Steven, was weightlifting in the garden shed.

Upon hearing the alarm raised, Steven dashed to the house from his shed, entering by the back door leading to the kitchen.

Desperately trying to find his fallen wife through the black bellowing smoke, he stumbled upon her on the floor and pulled her by her legs to safety in the garden. As she gasped for air, she told how the dishwasher was on fire; Steven rushed back in after calling the fire brigade and grabbed the powder fire extinguisher he kept on the wall to tackle the plume of smoke coming from the dishwasher; firstly, he opened the machine but could see no flames, but when he pulled the machine away from the wall, oxygen got to the back of the machine and flames enlarged until the machine shot out a fireball sending the burly bodybuilder to the floor. Steven fired his extinguisher and battled the flames until the arrival of the fire brigade, who had to fire their hose pipes to extinguish the fire fully, flooding the newly fitted kitchen.

Now the couple are warning others of their death-defying experience.

Speaking to Global247news, the couple said:

“Do not take the power companies advice in putting your dishwasher or washing machines on during the night. We have had a fortunate escape. If this had happened at night, the results would have been unthinkable!

“Didn’t realise dishwashers are right up there of kitchen appliances that can easily catch fire.

Also, microwaves with the power on can catch fire on their own.

Even fridges and freezers are a significant risk.

Shocking really. Unplug when not using oven microwaves and toasters etc

My mum always has done that the wise lady. I’ve started doing that now the electricity is so high, but now it’s a safety thing and will continue this.

He then challenged the mainstream media for telling people to use their appliances at night to save money, citing Walesonline. He said: “Their advice is deadly and could kill you and your family!” pointing out a recent article 

Meanwhile, his wife, Catherine, said,” I’ve never been so frightened in my life; I thought my time was up all due to a dishwasher, my lungs will take a while to recover but at least we are still alive, everyone needs to know the dangers of a dishwasher, I know so many people who put theirs on the last thing at night before going to bed. As a family, now we will be returning to fairy liquid, and Steven can use his marigolds, ‘  she smiled.