Smoke alarms can save lives in Styrian home fires

About 1,200 serious fires occur in Styria each year, and smoke alarms can provide a crucial early warning, ORF reports. The Styrian fire prevention office says fires at night are especially dangerous because smoke can render people unconscious before they wake.

The warning follows the death of a woman in a flat fire in Graz’s Lend district on Tuesday. There was no smoke alarm in the flat, and the fire service believes one might have made it possible to rescue her.

Smoke, rather than flames, is often the greatest danger to people in a fire, said Herbert Hasenbichler, head of the fire prevention office. He said smoke gases can cause someone to lose consciousness and prevent them from leaving in time.

Hasenbichler advised residents to use smoke alarms bearing a CE mark and place them in the centre of a room, at least 50 centimetres from a wall.

Batteries and electrical devices are among the most common sources of fires, he said. Mobile phones should be charged only with the correct charger and on a non-combustible surface, not on a bedside table. Ash from stoves can remain capable of igniting for up to 48 hours and should be disposed of outdoors or in a non-combustible container. He also recommended unplugging electrical devices when they are not needed and keeping a fire extinguisher within reach.