Smoke Alarm Safety
Updated: Dec 15, 2023
Smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. Fire spreads fast—working smoke alarms give you early warning so you can get outside quickly.
Statistics
- Roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
- More than one-third (38 percent) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present.
- The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.
Safety Tips
- Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Install alarms in the basement.
- It is best to use interconnected smoke alarms so that when one smoke alarm sounds, they all sound.
- Test all smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.
- A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
- Working smoke alarms are an important part of a home fire escape plan.
© 2023 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)