Smoke Detectors Essential to Fire Safety
Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 335
More than 330,000 residential fires occur each year, causing about 2,700 deaths per year. Residential fires are the second leading cause of death in the home. Victims of residential fires most often die of smoke and toxic gas inhalation not burns. Installing smoke detectors properly can significantly reduce the risk of fire-related injury.
There are two types of smoke detectors available for home use. The first is called an Ionization Chamber Detector and produces electrically charged molecules through a radioactive source to create an electric current within the chamber that sets off the alarm. The other type of is a Photoelectric Detector. This type sets off an alarm when the smoke is dense enough to deflect a light beam.
Battery-powered smoke detectors usually need to have the batteries replaced every year. There are also smoke detectors that can be plugged into an electrical outlet, but these are subject to power failure.
Smoke detectors should be installed on all levels of a house, duplex, or apartment and in every bedroom.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests the following to reduce the risk of fire:
- Install and maintain smoke alarms
- Maintain gas and electrical appliances
- Keep matches and lighters away from children
- Develop and practice a fire escape plan
In addition someone in the home should on an annual basis check the batteries to make sure they work properly. If you or your loved ones are injured in a fire contact a lawyer to assist in hiring the right professionals to gather and preserve the evidence. The structure may have burned to the ground but valuable evidence still exists and that may be all you have to prove what caused the fire.