Smoke Alarm Presence and Performance in U.S. Home Fires

The vast majority of U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm. For smoke alarms to be effective, they must have a functional power source, be close enough to the smoke to activate, they must be heard, and occupants must take appropriate action. In homes with smoke alarms and fires considered large enough, the alarms operated 83% of the time. Analyses of data from the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Incident Reporting System and the National Fire Protection Association’s fire department survey showed that in 2003 to 2006, no smoke alarms were present in 31% of reported home fires and 40% of home fire deaths. Smoke alarms were present but failed to operate in 9% of the reported fires and 23% of the deaths. Thirty-seven percent of the deaths resulted from the 47% of fires with operating smoke alarms. Circumstances of the fire, the detection equipment, and occupant characteristics must be considered when evaluating smoke alarm performance. Hardwired smoke alarms operated more often than alarms powered by batteries alone. Victims of fatal fires with working smoke alarms were more likely than victims of fires without working smoke alarms to have been in the area of origin when the fire began; fighting the fire; unable to act; or at least 65 years old; and less likely to have been sleeping. Findings from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2004 to 2005 Residential Fire Survey provide background about smoke alarms in the general population and in unreported fires.