Great Bend Firefighters were dipatched three times Friday when people saw steam coming from dryer vents and thought it was smoke. Although these were all basically false alarms, at least one potential fire hazard was revealed, Chief Mike Napolitano said.
     At 10:04 a.m. Friday, units responded to the Best Western Angus Inn, 2920 10th St. There was steam coming from the dryer vent, not a fire.
    At 10:50 a.m., units responded to the Travel Inn Motel, 3200 10th St., for “smoke” coming out of Room 124. They found no visible fire or smoke, just steam coming from a vent in a window. Upon further investigation they found two gas dryers running in the laundry room causing the steam. However, one dryer was in need of cleaning and maintenance, Napolitano said, adding the flame from the gas burner was extending out of the containment screen. Gas to that dryer was shut off and the manager was contacted by phone. She said the maintenance man would clean the unit before using it again.
     At 2:18 p.m. units responded to the Golden Belt Humane Society, 151 S U.S. 281, for the smell of smoke. Workers said the smell was coming from the back of the clothes dryer in a back room. Firefighters discovered the heating element had shorted out on the dryer.