A report conducted by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and U.S. Fire Administration shows that from 2008 to 2010, an estimated 40% of residential fires were caused by cooking equipment. In addition, home heating and cooling equipment was a leading cause of fire fatalities in the home. CPSC urges all consumers to install smoke alarms on every level of their homes, and to create and practice a family fire escape plan for emergencies.
"Six people die every day in home fires," says CPSC Chair Inez Tenenbaum. "The early warning provided by smoke alarms can make a big difference. Consumers who have working smoke alarms in their homes die in fires at about half the rate of those who do not have alarms."