Each year, nearly 3,000 people die in home fires in the U.S. Nearly three-quarters of all U.S. homes have at least one working smoke alarm, but there are still a significant number of homes without smoke alarms or without working smoke alarms.
This group accounts for more than one-third of reported home fires and nearly half of all the reported home fire deaths.
According to Cal Fire, these are preventable deaths.
As startling as the figures are, they give powerful meaning to this year’s theme for Fire Prevention Week 2010, “Smoke Alarms: A sound you can live with.”
Cal Fire is stressing the importance of having smoke alarms and encourage everyone to take the necessary steps required to update and maintain their home smoke alarm protection.
Smoke alarms are one of the best and least expensive safety devices you can buy and install to protect yourself, your family and your home.
Cal Fire knows that in the event of a home fire, properly installed and maintained smoke alarms could save your own life and those of your loved ones by providing time to escape.
“Far too many homes have no smoke alarms, not enough smoke alarms, alarms that are too old or alarms that are not working,” said Cal Fire Director Del Walters. “We want residents to understand that working smoke alarms can increase your family’s chances of surviving a home fire by 50 percent. They are needed in every home, on every level, including the basement, outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom. If a smoke alarm is 10 years old or older, it needs to be replaced.”
Cal Fire offered a few important fire safety and prevention tips:
Install smoke alarms on every level of the home (including the basement), outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom. Never remove or disable smoke alarms.
Check your smoke alarm batteries every month.
Change smoke alarm batteries twice a year when changing clocks for daylight savings.
Plan and practice your family home emergency escape plan together several times a year.
Make sure everyone knows when and how to call emergency telephone numbers.
Cooking is the No. 1 cause of home fires and injuries.
Smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths.
Obtain and learn how to use a fire extinguisher.
Install carbon monoxide detectors.
Consider installing residential fire sprinklers in your home.
For more fire safety tips visit the CAL FIRE web site at www.fire.ca.gov.
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