Wisconsinites continue to be killed by fires in which they could’ve had earlier warning. Between 2000 and 2006, 311 people in the state were killed in blazes in the home, according to a FEMA fire official.
“That’s still a significant number of people. Those were family members of someone and they’re still too high,” says Kelvin Cochran, Fire Administrator with USFA.
He cites numbers from the National Fire Protection Association, between 2003 and 2006 almost 2/3 of fire deaths in the US resulted in homes that either had no smoke alarms or had non-working alarms.
Cochran says it’s important to have working smoke detectors on every level of the home, near sleeping areas and to properly inspect them. They range in cost from $5 to $20 but Cochran says most fire departments will donate to families who cannot afford them.
