smoke alarms

How effective are smoke alarms in preventing deaths in a fire? Let's put it this way: chances of surviving a fire are far greater if you have a working smoke alarm. According to the National Fire Protection Association, studies in the United States have shown that nearly two-thirds of deaths due to a fire in the home occurred when there was no smoke alarm or when the existing smoke detector was faulty or disconnected. Although cooking and heating malfunctions are the two leading causes of home fires and injuries, smoking is the No. 1 cause of fire deaths. Most fire injuries and deaths result from fires at home. Today is the first day of National Fire Prevention Week 2010, observed every year in October to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that killed more than 250 people and left 100,000 homeless. This year's theme is "Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With."