Author: Darren Cartwright Source: AAP

Queensland homeowners continue to gamble with their lives, with more than 10 per cent of homes unprotected by smoke alarms.

Under laws introduced more than a decade ago, it is compulsory for every home to have at least one smoke alarm.

Any house built after 1997 must have hard-wired smoke alarms.

Yet the use of smoke detectors in Queensland has decreased, according to the Australian Productivity Commission’s 2011 report.

In 2009/10 just 89.2 per cent of Queensland homes had smoke alarms fitted, a slip from 90.1 per cent in 2008/09.

Last month, following the death of 11 people in the worst house fire in the state’s history, police pleaded with the Pacific Island community south of Brisbane to install smoke alarms.

Three women and eight teenagers and children of Tongan and Samoan descent died in the fire at Slacks Creek.

It’s believed smoke detectors were either not fitted or not working at the time.

Last week, just 15km from Slacks Creek, a man died in a house fire at Logan.

There have also been five significant residential fires in the past 48 hours.

Yet the report shows Queensland has the lowest percentage of homes fitted with smoke alarms on the east coast.

In Victoria 97.2 per cent of homes have smoke alarms, and in NSW the figure is 93.7 per cent.

Queensland’s Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said there was no excuse for homes not having smoke alarms fitted.

“I am disappointed these statistics show a slight decline in the proportion of households in Queensland with a smoke alarm,” Mr Roberts told AAP.

“Since July 2007, it has been Queensland law that every residence must have at least one working smoke alarm, preferably more.

“Before the law came into effect, around 79 per cent of Queensland residences had a smoke alarm.

“The message is clear smoke alarms save lives.”

According to the Department of Community Safety, there were 587 house fires in Queensland from June 1 to September 15, which equates to one fire every four to five hours.

The fine for not having a smoke alarm fitted is $500.

Since 2008/09 five residential property owners have been prosecuted for failing to have a smoke alarm installed or tested.

Mr Roberts said the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) had a dedicated smoke alarm awareness campaign and made house visits under the Safe Home program to assist homeowners.

In March and into April the fire service ran the “Don’t be an April Fool” campaign, which encouraged people to check their smoke alarm batteries, Mr Roberts said.

The service will launch another awareness campaign in coming weeks to raise awareness of the importance of smoke alarms.