NFPA Smoke Alarms Fact Sheet

Facts and figures about the use and effectiveness of smoke alarms in homes.

In 2007-2011, smoke alarms sounded in half of the home fires reported to U.S. fire departments.

• Three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

The death rate per 100 reported home fires was more than twice as high in homes that did not have any working smoke alarms (1.18 deaths per 100 fires), either because no smoke alarm was present or an alarm was present but did not operate), as it was in homes with working smoke alarms (0.53 per 100 fires).

• No smoke alarms were present in more than one-third (37%) of the home fire deaths. The death rate from reported fires in homes during 2007-2011 that had…