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Why are smoke alarms still so rare in Spanish homes?

A simple €15 device could cut the number of fire deaths in the country

Personal security is front and centre in many Spanish homes, with bars on windows guarding against break-ins. Yet fire safety, something as straightforward as a smoke alarm, often goes overlooked. In Britain, these devices blend into the background because they are so routine and expected in every home. In Spain, they just do not make an appearance and aren’t even considered.

Recent tragedies highlight the difference. Between December 24 and January 6, 21 lives were lost to residential fires. The full 2024 tally reached 162 deaths from 19,411 incidents, nearly 70% from smoke or toxic gases. Over half the 85 winter home fire victims were 65 or older, many living alone as electrical overloads sparked blazes at night.

Madrid Fire Department head Javier García explained the urgency. "Most fires happen at night and evolve very quickly. Detectors are not very expensive, and the warning gives you time to leave the house or close the room before the smoke spreads." Devices start at a mere €15, yet only one in four homes has one, per the Professional Association of Fire Technicians and Mapfre Foundation study. Younger, higher-income families fit them most.

Carlos Touriñán, the association president, made the case clear. "Our recommendation is always to install it. It emits an enormous sound intensity when you are sleeping, so you can wake up and get out." Anyone British will recognise that piercing wail all too well, from when dinner got left too long on the hob and billowed smoke everywhere.

Where rules stand now

Public buildings like hotels, hospitals and schools must have them. Valladolid, in autonomous community of Castile and León, leads locally, requiring detectors in new builds and renovations since April 1. Private homes face no national mandate yet, though some add them voluntarily.

From May 10 2025, Royal Decree 164/2025 brings tougher fire safety to industrial sites, including smoke alarms, advanced systems and heat sensors.

Steps forward

Last November, updates to the Technical Building Code pushed for detectors in new homes, rolling out across 2026. France, Germany and the UK already make them compulsory nationwide. ‘Smart’ models now have the added bonus of pinging phones for remote alerts.

Easy fitting advice

Mount centrally on ceilings in hallways by bedrooms, clear of kitchens to avoid false alarms. Check batteries, clean dust and test monthly. Larger or multi-storey homes should several, especially near sleeping areas. Heat detectors suit garages or cooking zones better.

So affordable and so simple to fit, there is really no good reason for a home to be without one, especially in a country where everyday safety is taken so seriously in so many other ways.

Image: u_rpnz0oibah/Pixabay

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