FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – Dryer lint from across the United States will be gathered into a ball on Thursday, Sept. 19, in Farmington Hills in an attempt to set a new world record.

The prospective new record holders plan to celebrate by setting the lint on fire, according to a news release from Farmington Hills-based Dryer Vent Wizard, a dryer vent maintenance and repair franchise.

The record-setting event is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday at 27245 Halsted Road in Farmington Hills.

Many “largest ball” Guinness World Records have been set, but this would be the first Largest Ball of Lint.

To set an official record, the ball must weigh at least 99 pounds. Organizers expect it to weigh closer to 1,000 pounds, according to the release.

If successful, the lint record would join other “largest ball” feats, including the Largest Paper Ball (426 pounds), Largest Ball of Stickers (231.6 pounds), Largest Ball of Human Hair (167 pounds) and Largest Rubber Band Ball (9,032 pounds).

Dryer Vent Wizard began collecting dryer lint in April from the company’s 95 franchisees serving 9,000 communities across the country, according to the release. The record attempt is part of an effort to raise awareness about the dangers of dryer fires.

During the event, lint collected in a shipping container will be assembled into a giant ball that the company expects to weight more than 1,000 pounds. The ball will be weighed on a construction crane, and then set it ablaze. Farmington Hills Fire Department will be on site to extinguish the flames.

“We are ready to set this Guinness World Records title – and then light it on fire,” Jason Kapica, president of Dryer Vent Wizard, said in a statement. “Setting the lint ball on fire is a symbol of the prevalence of dryer vent fires. Our mission is to create something big that brings awareness to this important home safety issue.”

Lack of proper maintenance not only shortens the life of the appliance but can have severe consequences to the safety of the homeowner, according to the release.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, there is an average of 15,970 dryer fires in the country annually. “Failure to clean” was cited as the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in residential buildings.