This is typical for dryers with front mounted lint filters, Norge and many newer GE dryers are among the worst offenders because they flattened the air duct so much. On a dryer like this you should remove the front and clean this area at least every 5 years or so.

The 29" WP built dryers with the top mounted lint filters are by far the best dryer design ever as little serious lint accumulates in the lint filter housing because it is directly above the fan. Further added to this great design is a blower that NEVER clogs because of its fin design and then its right out the back of the machine with no internal duct seems that can leak any hot lint laden air.

Lint build up like this does not pose much of a fire hazard for several reasons, 1 lint is not very flammable we see dryers every week that have had lint fires and they usually extinguish themselves only burning a little bit of the fuzz on the top of the buildup. 2 there is nothing to ignite the lint inside the air duct, most dryer fires start with a heavy lint build up near the heater or the gas burner, or other electrical failure like an arc from shorted wiring.

Cleaning out your dryer is diffidently a good thing to do and better airflow will help drying speed a little, these are fairly slow dryers however as they have the lowest BTU burner or wattage heaters of any modern full sized US dryer.

Whuuuuuut??

X1000!

So much damn ducting running all over the place in that design, and at sharp angles to boot. Give me an HOH Maytag with about a foot of total ducting, lol. No lint to build up.....if one cleans the filter.

My '81 Kenmore gaser loves to collect lint in that blower baffle area. Immediately trips the high limit thermo when it happens and the flame goes out. Nothing more annyoing than coming back to wet clothes an hour later when you're in a hurry. I've pulled the damnedest items out of that baffle area. These dryers love to eat up anything you put into them for treasure hunting later on when disassembling and cleaning