Fire and Burn Injury Interventions

Smoke Detector Effectiveness

Background

The majority of all fire and burn deaths (80%) are due to house fires. These deaths include those caused by smoke, toxic fumes, and carbon monoxide gas resulting from fires. Those at greatest risk are children under 5 and the elderly. Other risk factors for residential fires are alcohol, drug and cigarette use, substandard heating (space heaters both electrical and kerosene types) and substandard electrical wiring. Higher death and injury rates in lower socio-economic census tracts are in part due to poor quality housing.¹     Cigarettes account for 28% of all fatal fires. Fires that originate in bedding are attributed to cigarettes 44% of the time and those fires starting in upholstered furniture are due to cigarettes 63% of the time.^5,6  Smoke detectors are designed as early warning devices alerting residents that a fire has started so that they can vacate the premises and call the fire department.

Review of smoke detector effectiveness:
 

Summary of smoke detector effectiveness

Smoke detectors are effective, reliable and inexpensive early warning devices which reduce injuries in residential fires. The excellent case control study by Runyan and colleagues⁷  indicated a 71% protective effect of smoke detectors.

Recommendations on effectiveness of smoke detectors

Smoke detectors should be present in every dwelling (apartment, house, trailer). The number of smoke detectors required varies with the size of the housing unit. At a minimum, there should be one detector protecting the bedroom area in each dwelling unit of one, two, and multi-family dwellings.⁸  A large proportion of residential fires which are attributed to smoking could be eliminated by legislation requiring self-extinguishing cigarettes. So far, resistance from the tobacco industry and lack of political will at both state and federal levels has kept this from happening. ^9,10

Recommendations for future research

Reliable low price smoke detectors are available throughout the country. Improvements in current models should focus on developing a long lasting power source. Combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be considered.

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