Case studies

Only working smoke alarms save lives. An incident in mid-2023 in regional New South Wales is a poignant and eye-opening example of working smoke alarms saving the lives of occupants.

Background

Annual smoke alarm services are a mandated requirement for rental properties in NSW, and for good reason because there is no doubt working smoke alarms save lives.  

One day, a Detector Inspector Smoke Alarm Technician was out in regional New South Wales, visiting properties to perform smoke alarm services. 

During the services, the technician completed and documented their tests, which include decibel, battery and push tests on all installed smoke alarms. 

Incident

That afternoon, emergency crews responded to a significant fire that had started in a property serviced earlier that day.  

A fire had started within a utility cupboard on the property’s ground floor stairwell. 

When the fire started, the tenant was in the kitchen on the ground floor. When they heard the beeping of the smoke alarm, they immediately raced upstairs to beat the fire and rescue their pet cat before escaping outside. The tenant was taken to the hospital with minor burns, but they were discharged later that day. 

While the tenant received only minor injuries and the cat was unharmed, fire and rescue crews were unable to save the property as the fire had ravaged out of control. 

Outcome

Following the incident, fire crews painted a grisly picture of what had occurred. A Fire and Rescue NSW crew member said that the stairwell had acted as a ‘chimney,’ directing the fire upstairs to ‘ravage’ and ‘gut’ the second floor as well.

“[The rental property] sustained extensive fire damage and is now inhabitable.”

A responding police constable

Investigations into the origin of the fire in the following days found that an old vape device stashed away in a cupboard had spontaneously combusted, a stark reminder of how seemingly innocuous items, if not maintained or properly stored can spark catastrophic fires like this. 

Conclusion

This incident underscores a poignant lesson—that vigilance in maintaining smoke alarms is a responsibility that should never be underestimated. Beyond compliance, these small devices are one of the most important items in any household. Early warning allows for occupants to escape a fire before being overcome and emergency crews to respond promptly, potentially saving the property as well as potentially neighbouring properties, as they did in this instance (The role of a well-maintained smoke alarm in fire safety (detectorinspector.com.au) 

Get the protection you need with our smoke alarm safety service.
If you’re a landlord, ask your property manager about enrolling in Detector Inspector’s smoke alarm safety service for uninterrupted compliance and the safety of tenants.
If you’re a property manager, enquire below to find out how Detector Inspector can ensure your landlords' properties are compliant with the recent legislation.
Share this page

Smoke alarms not only save lives but can also be essential for the protection of property. In late 2022, a recently serviced smoke alarm sounded alerting neighbours and renters living outside the property early enough to prevent a ravaging fire from spreading to neighbouring houses.

Background

In May 2022, a rental property in Melbourne’s South East was enlisted in Detector Inspector's smoke alarm safety service.

After liaising with the real estate agency and property manager responsible for the property, Detector Inspector sent out a technician to perform a safety service.

During the service, the technician identified an expired 9V detachable smoke alarm, which had reached the end of its 10-year useable life. As part of the safety service, the technician replaced the alarm with a brand-new detachable 9V smoke alarm.

To confirm the viability of the alarm, checks on its test button and decibel output were performed and photos were taken and displayed in the service report provided to the property manager.

Fire case sudy 3 1
Decibel reading from new smoke alarm installed during the Detector Inspector smoke alarm safety service. 91.6 is an above specification reading.

Seven months later, while the renters were away on an overseas holiday, Melbourne experienced severe weather, flooding the rental property.

Upon return from their holiday, the renters found the property almost inhabitable due to the dampness and mould that had taken over inside.

While the house was undergoing repairs, the renters began living in a caravan parked on the front lawn and only came inside to use the kitchen.

Incident

One day after finishing cooking inside, the renters returned outside to their caravan for the evening.

A couple of hours passed before suddenly, they heard a beeping sound. The beeping was coming from the smoke alarm inside the flooded rental.

The beeping was loud enough to alert neighbours from next door and across the street to the incident.

When the renter got inside to investigate, he found the stovetop on fire caused by a chip pan they had accidentally left on while cooking dinner.

The alerted neighbours immediately called the emergency services who arrived at the property with lights and sirens. By this time the fire had spread from the ignition point in the kitchen to the main corridor and was making its way to the rest of the property.

Thankfully, due to the early warning fire services were able to bring the situation under control before the fire was able to spread further.

Outcome

The outcome of this incident could have been a whole lot worse if it were not for the serviced and working smoke alarm. The property manager claims that if the renter and neighbours had not been alerted when they did by the smoke alarm, the blaze would have likely taken over the entire property with a significant risk of spreading to the neighbouring properties.

The damage to the property, however, was still significant with the corridor housing the smoke alarm burnt significantly and the kitchen where the fire started completely destroyed.

Fire case sudy 2
Kitchen wall almost completely destroyed by the fire and hallway following the fire, showing significant ceiling damage and the location of the smoke alarm that alerted the renters and neighbours.
Conclusion

This case highlights the critical role of smoke alarms. The renters of this property were fortunate enough to have a working smoke alarm that alerted them to the fire, even though they were living outside the house due to the flood damage. The loud and distinct sound of the alarm also helped to notify the neighbours of the emergency, who were able to call the emergency services.

If the situation was different and the renters had been inside, this early notice would have allowed the neighbours to potentially assist the renters to escape before it was too late.

Smoke alarms can provide valuable time for occupants to evacuate and call for help, as well as support emergency services in preventing further damage and spread. Working smoke alarms save lives and give occupants and neighbours peace of mind that they have a reliable early warning system in place.

Get the protection you need with our smoke alarm safety service.

If you’re a landlord, ask your property manager about enrolling in Detector Inspector’s smoke alarm safety service for uninterrupted compliance and safety of tenants.

If you’re a property manager, enquire below to find out how Detector Inspector can ensure your landlords' properties are compliant with the recent legislation.

The services we offer flex and change with the evolving regulations in your state. The constant you can trust is the quality of service we provide, rigorously ensuring compliance and delivering on our purpose – Safer Homes.

Learn more(opens in new tab)
Share this page
Go back
Go back
1300 134 563
Visit Help Centre Get in touch
Detector Inspector