Select a region
Islanders have been urged to check their smoke detectors after it emerged that there wasn't a single working fire alarm in a block of flats hit by a blaze that left four people in hospital last night.
Two adults and two children were taken to hospital on Wednesday 8 January after a fire in an electrical cupboard spread smoke to multiple flats within a building on St Mark's Road.
However, it has now emerged that none of the four affected properties had working smoke alarms.
Duty Station Commander, Paul McGrath said: “If working smoke alarms were in place, the residents would have had warning of the fire and been able to evacuate the building, safely, in plenty of time.”
Three fire engines – including the Western Station on-call crew – were dispatched to the incident at around 19:50 last night.
On arrival, two firefighters in breathing apparatus tackled the fire in an electrical cupboard in the building's basement.
One man was rescued from the top floor wearing a rescue hood, to protect him from smoke inhalation while exiting.
Two adults and two children were taken to hospital by paramedics. All patients were discharged this morning.
Mr McGrath added: “Smoke and heat alarms save lives.
“During a fire, more people die from smoke or gas inhalation than burns.
Recent data showed that, although 98% of local households had smoke detectors installed, only 19% tested them monthly as is recommended.
The statistics also revealed that 13% of Jersey households admitted they never test their alarms at all.
Pictured: Only one-in-five local households tested their smoke detectors at least monthly. (Statistics Jersey)
The Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey gathered insights from 1,200 islanders, also uncovered differences in testing habits across different housing types and locations.
Residents in bedsits showed the highest compliance with monthly testing at 46%, while house dwellers recorded just 13%.
St Helier parishioners were also more likely to test their alarms monthly (23%) compared to those in rural parishes (14%).
In a statement, the Fire Service said: “You are ten times more likely to die from a fire if you don’t have a working smoke alarm in your home.
“Test your smoke alarms at least once a month.”
The States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service has issued the following advice:
You can also carry out your own home fire risk assessment for free, online.
The Fire and Rescue Service offers the Home Fire Safety Check, which takes the answers given and creates an action plan giving basic tips to help keep your home fire safe.
When using the tool, you are asked for information about each part of your property, with the answers then generating easy-to-follow advice that can be kept and referred to at any time.
The online home safety check tool does not replace the in-person visits the service offers to vulnerable residents in the island.
Two adults and two children hospitalised after electrical fire
WATCH: Smoke alarm warning after stats show lack of regular testing
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.