RESIDENTS are being urged to ensure they have enough smoke alarms in their homes.

Statistics show one smoke alarm may not be enough to provide you with the best chance of escaping a fire in the home.

Despite the majority of homes (95 per cent) having at least one working smoke alarm, smoke alarms only alerted householders to just one in every three fires in the home in England.

The fire service says the most common reason a smoke alarm failed to activate was because the fire was outside its range.

Vikki Thomas, the Safe and Well manager from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We all must make sure that we have enough smoke alarms in our homes and that they are in the right places.

“If your whole home isn’t covered, you could be leaving it to chance and, in a fire, you might not get the early warning that you need.

“The vast majority of us now have at least one working smoke alarm in our home, but early detection and warning is vital to reduce the devastation a fire can cause. That’s why it’s so important that you have enough smoke alarms and that they are in the right places. That will give them the best chance of alerting you and your loved ones to a fire.”