Firefighters in Berkshire are advising residents to make one major New Year's resolution - to get a proper working fire smoke alarm system that covers the whole house.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is supporting this month’s Fire Kills smoke alarm campaign.

The latest fire statistics reveal that one smoke alarm may not be enough to provide someone with the best chance of escaping a fire in the home. Despite the majority of homes (91 per cent) having at least one working smoke alarm in their home, smoke alarms alerted householders to a fire in England in only 45 per cent of cases.

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

Ian Barks, Central Hub Prevention Manager, said: “The vast majority of us now have at least one smoke alarm in our homes, but early detection and warning is vital to reduce the devastation a fire in the home can cause.

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"If you don’t have enough, or they’re not in the right place, you might not be alerted in time. That’s why it’s so important that you have enough smoke alarms, they are in the right place and they are working to have the best chance of alerting you and your loved ones to a fire.

“You should make sure you have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home, preferably in hallways and landings."