House fire death highlights dangers of novelty lighters

The death of a toddler in a Hamilton house fire last Sunday underscores the urgent need to strengthen rules on novelty lighters, says the New Zealand Fire Service.

Fire investigation manager Peter Wilding says children playing with a novelty lighter are believed to have caused the fire, which also left the toddler’s mother with serious injuries.

The Fire Service and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have been working to ban the importation of such lighters and to make all other types of lighters more difficult for children to use, especially cigarette lighters.

“Novelty lighters are outlawed in Australia, the European Union and many parts of the United States,” says Mr Wilding. “It’s time New Zealand caught up. They are dangerous because their toy-like appearance makes them attractive to children, who have no idea of their lethal potential.”

Amendments to product safety regulations are expected to go before a select committee early next year and to pass into law by June 2015. The Fire Service believes the changes could cut injuries to under-five-year-olds and related property losses by two-thirds.

Mr Wilding says children under five have started about 200 fires in the past five years, frequently with lighters. Those same fires resulted in injuries to nearly 50 children and adults.

Mr Wilding says the blaze, the fifth house fire fatality since July 1, also shows the importance of working smoke alarms.

The single alarm at the Karen Crescent house had been disabled because of false activations from cooking smoke.

“Early warning is everything. The more you have, the greater the chance of escaping to safety. Sadly, but quite avoidably, the occupants in this case had no warning.

“The fire spread very rapidly because all internal doors were open. But even in ordinary circumstances, fire moves much faster than people imagine. In less than four minutes, a smouldering fire in an average room will increase sufficiently to overcome anyone in it."

Eight of the 10 fire-related deaths in homes last year occurred in properties without working smoke alarms.

Mr Wilding says the Fire Service runs a nationwide programme targeting suburbs where homes are less likely to have such alarms.

Last year, it installed at no cost to occupants nearly 10,000 long-life photoelectric alarms, as well as checking, cleaning and replacing batteries in alarms in another 6,000 homes. Appointments can be made on 0800 693 473.

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