House fires throughout the country -- Maryland included -- have investigators taking a hard look at a seemingly innocent kitchen appliance found in many homes as the possible culprit.

As was the case for one family from Columbia, Maryland, many residents are left to wonder if their dishwater could be a defective household product. The family from Columbia vividly recalled an incident where they smelled an odor that resembled burning plastic. When they investigated the smell, they discovered that a small fire had sparked up in their dishwasher, melting the control panel but luckily not doing further damage to the kitchen or rest of the home.

This was far from an isolated incident as the Consumer Product Safety Commission received over 260 complaints via its website between March and November of 2011 about dishwashers that have produced smoke or fire. A media investigation into the CPSC revealed the fact that the commission has caught wind of 16,000 similar problems with dishwashers over the course of the last five years. With such severe dangers so prevalent around the country, it begs the question, "Why isn't anything being done to fix the problem?"

In fact, the CPSC is essentially covering the problem up, unwilling to divulge information on which dishwasher brands have been behind a majority of the complaints until they are given permission by those companies. Consumers have taken it upon themselves to the play the watchdog role by creating websites dedicated to sharing information about the dangers of certain dishwashers.

A Bethesda, Maryland-based attorney is also taking matters into his own hands, launching a lawsuit on behalf of 11 clients who have experienced damage of property from dishwasher fires. The lawsuit is aimed at Whirlpool, which produces products under such popular names as KitchenAid, Kenmore and Maytag.

In the meantime, homeowners should keep a careful eye on their dishwashers to make sure they are operating safely.

Source: ABC-TV Channel 2, "Dishwasher dangers: The ABC2/Scripps investigation," Joce Sterman, Feb. 6, 2012