Daylight saving is ending – do you have smoke alarms where you sleep?

2 April 2026

The 12 months from July 2024 to June last year saw the highest number of preventable residential fire deaths in a decade, with 17 people killed in house fires. Seven of those deaths occurred during the winter months.

When the clocks go back an hour as daylight saving ends this Sunday, 5 April, Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Community Education Manager Tom Ronaldson wants people to install smoke alarms in the rooms where they sleep.

“Many of the deaths in that year were the result of not having smoke alarms in the right places.

“We are urging people to not only check their alarms, but to make sure they have smoke alarms in every room where someone sleeps,” Tom Ronaldson says.

“It’s also important to look out for older neighbours, family and friends who may not have the ability to install smoke alarms themselves.

“More than 60 percent of avoidable residential fires in the last five years involved people over the age of 60.

“We encourage you to check in on the older people in your lives and near you to make sure their smoke alarms are less than 10 years old, still working, and that they have one in the room where they sleep.”

Every year over the colder months, Fire and Emergency sees an increase in household fires as people heat their homes, including in households where they have smoke alarms, but not necessarily in the right places to save lives.

 “Most New Zealand homes have smoke alarms, but now is the time to make sure you, your family and your community have them in the right places and that means in every bedroom, living area and hallway,” Tom Ronaldson says.