New research from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has revealed that more than half of Western Australians are unaware they need to replace their smoke alarms every 10 years.
The findings were released to coincide with the Department’s Don’t Be a Fool, Check Your Smoke Alarm campaign, run annually on April Fool’s Day.
In a statement, DFES said a recent survey revealed 43 per cent of respondents had not tested their smoke alarms in the past year, while only 13 per cent had completed a check in the past month.
“Additionally, 57 per cent did not know they needed to replace their alarms every 10 years,” it said.
Commissioner for Fire and Emergency Services, Darren Klemm said working smoke alarms gave people early warning of residential fires and regular maintenance was crucial.
“Most residential fires that cause injury or death occur at night when people are asleep and a small fire can engulf an entire room in just a couple of minutes,” Commissioner Klemm said.
“You need to test your smoke alarm every month by pressing the test button down until you hear a loud alert tone,” he said.
“You should remove any build-up of dust and cobwebs with a vacuum cleaner every six months.”
The Commissioner said DFES had responded to 724 residential structure fires in 2021, with electrical faults and unattended heat sources found to be the most common causes.
He said Western Australians should also install alarms in their garages.
“Some of the most destructive house fires start in garages — a fire can take off in a garage with little to no warning and quickly tear through an entire house,” Commissioner Klemm said.
