Compulsory smoke alarms needed in rental accommodation

The tragic deaths of three young people during a house fire in Hamilton, hot on the heels of a 3 year old dying in a house fire the previous week, point directly to the need for compulsory smoke alarms in rental properties.

That’s according to Peter Wilding, Fire Investigation Manager for the New Zealand Fire Service.

The property where the three year old died did not have working smoke alarms, and while the cause of the second fire is still unknown, it is not believed that working smoke alarms were present.

“The people dying in these fires are frequently found some distance from where the fires start but have usually been overcome with poisonous smoke.

“The simple fact is that smoke alarms save lives. Most deaths in house fires can be prevented if there are working smoke alarms to alert people and give them time to escape.

“Rarely do we see a fire death where there have been working smoke alarms,” he says.

Certain groups have a higher likelihood of fire than the general population, including the elderly, families with young children, Maori and Pacific Island families and common users of rental accommodation.

Peter Wilding says those providing accommodation to these "at-risk" groups have a duty of care to ensure their properties are safe.

“The Fire Service believes landlords should be responsible for installing alarms in their properties and ensuring there is a maintenance schedule to regularly check their effectiveness.

“There should be a long-life smoke alarm in every bedroom, in the hallway outside bedrooms and other living areas. Even if one alarm fails for whatever reason this level of protection helps provide early warning of fires that otherwise become deadly.

“Most people underestimate the speed of fire. A fire can become unsurvivable in 5 minutes or less. Your friends and family really do only have seconds to escape.

“With Christmas nearly upon us, families should consider gifting smoke alarms to their young people who are living away from home,” says Peter.

The New Zealand Fire Service recommends long-life photoelectric smoke alarms because they offer the best protection for households.

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