As winter temperatures rise and fall, our furnaces, fireplaces, and stoves get a workout heating our homes. Unfortunately those heat sources are responsible for an increased risk of accidental fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association, nearly 65 percent of all home fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms or improperly working alarms.
Ginger Yang, PhD, MPH, Department of Community and Behavioral Health at University of Iowa College of Public Health, talks about the importance of installation, placement, and maintenance of home smoke alarms:
You recently studied the effectiveness of smoke alarms in Iowa homes. Can you tell us more about that study?
We studied the impact of smoke alarm type and battery type on smoke alarm functionality after 12 months and 42 months after installation. We also looked at which type of smoke alarm may be more appropriate for installing in the area near the kitchen.
What did the study show about fire deaths in Iowa?
Previous study showed that the fire death rate is 30 percent higher in rural than urban areas. Fifteen people in Iowa died last year due to fires on based on a report from the Chicago Tribune.
Where do fires routinely start in a home?
Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire-related injuries. About 41 percent of reported home fires begin in the kitchen or cooking area. More than half (about 55 percent) of home cooking fires started after food or other cooking materials ignited.
Where should fire alarms or smoke detectors be located in a home?
Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement. Twenty percent of reported home fires occur between 11 pm and 7 am, when residents are sleeping. These fires cause about 52 percent of all home fire deaths. The fires that occur in the overnight hours are often the result of a home furnace. So placing a smoke detector near the furnace will allow the family more time to get out of the house if there is a fire.
What kind of smoke detector should be used?
In general, a photoelectric smoke alarm is more responsive to smoldering fires (such as fires caused by discarded cigarettes). An ionization smoke alarm is more responsive to flaming fires (such as grease fires in kitchens). For the best protection, both photoelectric and ionization alarms should be installed in homes because we cannot predict what type of fire may occur. Also, interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
How hard is it to maintain a fire alarm or smoke detector?
When buying a smoke alarm, be sure it has the label of a recognized testing laboratory. Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button. Replace the batteries in all smoke alarms at least once a year. If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years old.
Aside from a warning system, what other steps should families take in the event of a fire?
Families should have a fire escape plan. Fire can spread rapidly, leaving as little as two minutes to escape safely once the alarm sounds. The ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms, and advance planning—a home fire escape plan, which includes how the family would safely exit the residence, and where family members would meet outside after they safely exit. Everyone in the family should be familiar with the escape plan and should have practiced the plan.
How significant is the decrease in the risk of death if the correct number of fire alarms is properly installed in a home?
Forty percent of all home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms, while 23 percent resulted from homes in which smoke alarms were present but did not operate. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half. |
