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Home Home Facts
Home Facts
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1 fire every 2 minutes
800 deaths and 10,000 victims every year
250,000 home fire insurance claims made every year
2nd most frequent cause of home accident death of children under the age of 5
1 in 3 people in France will be victim of a fire during his/her lifetime
1 glass of water will put out a fire in the first minute, 1 bucket of water is needed in the 2nd minute, and 1 tank of water as of the 3rd minute.
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STATISTICS
In France, less than 5% of households have smoke detectors. This compares with England (89%), Norway (98%), Canada (94%) and US (95%).
In 1989, 10% of households in England had smoke detectors. A law passed in 1991 made it compulsory for all newly-built homes to have smoke detectors. Thanks to this measure and a national information and awareness campaign conducted by the government, 89% of English homes currently have smoke detectors. This led to a 50% fall in the number of victims, in a few years.
In France, an amendment to the Boutin law, making it compulsory for homes to be fitted with smoke alarms, was passed on 10 February 2009.
Occupants, whether tenants or owners, will have 3 years to comply, once the law has come into force.
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SMOKE DETECTORS – MORANGE LAW
The Morange law requires homes to have at least one smoke detector.
France was one of the last countries in the West to make smoke detectors compulsory. However, on 13 October 2005, the National Assembly passed the Morange and Meslot's bill requiring all home owners or occupants to fit and maintain at least one self-contained smoke detector (SCSD).
The law states :
« Art. L. 129-8. – Any owner of premises used as a principal residence is obliged to install in the premises at least one approved smoke detector and ensure its maintenance.
Furthermore, a smoke detector certificate of installation must be sent to the insurer of the premises, which will lead, in most cases, to a reduction in the insurance premium.
This obligation will come into force, 5 years at the latest from its publication, according to the conditions to be defined by decree.
The reasons for the law ?
Smoke detectors are, at present, the most effective solution for home fire prevention (the main causes of which are short circuits, overheating in electrical appliances, cigarettes, etc.). It is important to remember that once a fire has started, it spreads very quickly: a small flame can soon become an uncontrollable fire in only 3 minutes. In a home fire, smoke is more lethal than the flames. Smoke does not wake up occupants. It suffocates and kills: the carbon monoxide and cyanide it contains puts the victim in a deep sleep, reducing his/her ability to move and his/her senses. Smoke poisoning accounts for 80% of deaths and 66% of victims die by suffocation in their beds.
Smoke detectors are alone in being able to give the alert very quickly and double the chances of survival, in the event of fire. First, the law should make everyone aware of the importance of fire prevention. The widespread use of smoke detectors should save between 400 and 500 lives a year and reduce the numbers of those burned, which number 10,000 each year.
In all countries where smoke detectors are compulsory, the number of deaths has halved.
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