Facts & Figures
Smoke alarms play a vital role in reducing deaths and injuries from fire and have contributed to the almost 50% decrease in fire deaths since the late 1970s. It is estimated that 95% of U.S homes have at least one smoke alarm. Sixty-five percent of reported home fire deaths occurred in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms save lives and protect against injury and loss due to fire.
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A 2004 U.S. telephone survey found that 96% of the households surveyed had at least one smoke alarm, yet in 2000-2004, no smoke alarms were present or none operated in almost half (46%) of the reported home fires.
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An estimated 890 lives could be saved each year if all homes had working smoke alarms.
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65% of reported home fire deaths in 2000-2004 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
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The fire death rate in homes with working smoke alarms is 51% less than the rate for homes without this protection.
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In one out of every five homes equipped with at least one smoke alarm installed, not a single one was working.
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Why do smoke alarms fail? Most often because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries. Nuisance activations were the leading cause of disabled smoke alarms.
Source: NFPA
