News from the Residential Property Investor, the bi-monthly magazine for RLA members other artilces from the October / November 2001 issue RPI news archive

DTLR puts case for smoke alarms - October / November 2001

Residents in houses without working smoke alarms are twice as likely to die in a fire than those protected by alarms.

The statistic comes from the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which last month launched on 'Excuses kill' campaign encouraging greater use of smoke alarms.

On average 270 people each year are killed by fires in homes unprotected by a smoke alarm, half of those in the hours of darkness. 'Over the last five years more than 70 people have been killed every year because their smoke alarms didn't work - usually because the battery was flat or missing', said the DTLR.

In all there were 58,300 house fires in 1999, resulting in 408 deaths and 12,500 non-fatal injuries.

Cooking appliances were the most most common sources of fires - and were responsible for 58 per cent of the total. Smoking materials caused 10 per cent of fires but 30 per cent of deaths, heating equipment 4 per cent of fires.

Smoke alarm ownership was said to have increased from 36 per cent in 1991 to 77 per cent in 1999.
 

other artilces from the October / November 2001 issue

• A voice for landlords
• Bristol charity blasts shorthold tenancies
• Glasgow landlords challenge registration scheme
• NALS gets Government funding
• Jail for deposit trickster
• Rental market strong but could be stronger
• Council pays private tenants over lack of enforcement
• Halt called to dispersals
• DTLR puts case for smoke alarms
• Homeless increase in SW
• In brief