By Josh Duke
The Indianapolis Star
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Fire Marshal and local fire departments want Hoosiers to know that the fire detectors in their homes may not be fully protecting them.
Fire Marshal Roger Johnson said today that recent tests showed the detectors used in 93 percent of homes don’t sound during smoldering fires.
“If we don’t get this message out of what we uncovered, people are going to die,” Johnson said. “The difference between the two types of smoke detectors is critically different.”
Fire detectors have been in use for decades to prevent death and injury due to fire and smoke inhalation. Most homes are equipped with ionization detectors, which work best in recognizing open-flame fires.
However, ionization detectors didn’t sound during a 79-minute smoldering fire in tests conducted this summer by Brownsburg, Indianapolis, Speedway and Wayne Township fire departments. Smoldering fires, such as those could be caused by a cigarette in a couch, could burn for hours without creating an open flame.
Local and state fire officials now recommend dual-sensor detectors that combine ionization with photoelectric technology to better recognize both types of fires.
“If you go to bed with just an ionization detector, you are playing a game of Russian roulette,” Johnson said.
Copyright 2007 The Indianapolis Star
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