Smoke alarm ownership and house fire death rates in children.

Residential fires are the second leading cause of unintentional injury death among children ages 1–14 in the UK. Case-control data show that smoke alarms are associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of death in the event of a house fire, the protective eVect being greatest in fires involving children under 5. In the UK, the Home OYce recommends that all homes are fitted with smoke alarms. Between 1988 and 1995, the Home OYce ran annual television advertising campaigns in England and Wales to promote smoke alarm installation. We examined trends in childhood death rates from residential fires in relation to smoke alarm ownership.