Smoke alarms

The risk of a fatality in a home fire is halved if there is a working smoke alarm in a residential dwelling.

Did you know its been over 10 years since smoke alarms became law across NSW... and... most smoke alarms don't last 10 years. What is the law?

Decorative image of a smoke alarm and the Australian Standard tick
Buying a smoke alarm

It's the law to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home.

Decorative image of a house layout with a image of a smoke alarm in a bedroom
Installing your smoke alarm

Learn about the ideal positions and minimum requirements for smoke alarms in your home.

Decorative image demonstrating smoke alarm maintenance
Maintaining smoke alarms

Maintaining your smoke alarm ensures it's in working order for when you need it the most.

Photo of fire fighters performing a safety visit. Learn more here.
Need help?

A Home Safety Visit can assist in helping you reduce the risk of an accidental fire in the home and safely escape in the event of a fire.

Decorative photo of law books
What is the law?

Learn about your responsibilities and how to comply with the law.

Decorative image of a smoke alarm
Smoke alarm questions & answers

Maintaining your smoke alarm ensures it's in working order for when you need it the most.

Campaign resources for Smoke Alarm Action Day
Campaign resources

The Smoke Alarm Action Day Campaign Kit has been developed to help our stakeholders communicate with their local community.

Did you know?


The use of heaters, cigarettes and candles are common causes of fires.


When you're asleep, you won't smell the smoke from a fire.


You're twice as likely to die in a home fire if you don't have a working smoke alarm.

Fire and Rescue NSW responds to approximately
4500
residential fires each year.
Half of these fires start in the kitchen, mostly due to unattended cooking.


Electrical appliances and faults cause almost 40% of home fires.