Faulty dehumidifier blamed for Cedar Rapids house fire

CEDAR RAPIDS - On Wednesday, a nationwide recall was placed for a popular small home appliance. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling 98,000 Goldstar and Comfort-Aire brand dehumidifiers.

This is the second recall for the units, which were first recalled back in December 2009. According to officials, wiring in the units could short-circuit and cause a fire.

Cedar Rapids fire investigators believe one of the recalled dehumidifiers may have caused a house fire in July.

"We went down into the basement and you could not see anything,” said fire victim Kelly Gorsch.

Gorsch and her family of four rushed out of their home on M Street Southwest in Cedar Rapids.

"We found out later it was the dehumidifier that caught on fire,” said Gorsch.

Even though it was badly burned, one fire investigator believes it was a unit that was recalled back in December 2009.

"The wheels that were on that dehumidifier at the M Street fire were indication of the Goldstar humidifier that was part of a recall,” said Cedar Rapids Assistant Fire Marshal Vance McKinnon. "There was a short-circuit within the compressor that sparked a fire,” said McKinnon.

McKinnon said consumers wouldn't be able to tell the units were faulty just by looking at them, but instead, can implement safe practices at home.

"If you can, avoid having your dehumidifier on carpet. Keep it on a cement floor if at all possible,” said McKinnon.

If you have one of the recalled units, stop using it, unplug it and contact LG Electronics - the parent company- for a free repair.

"It's nerve-racking to know that anybody else could have it happen to them, especially when you have kids,” said Gorsch.

For more details about this recall including the brand, serial numbers, and other information

click here.