Firefighters are concerned that many residents of Latvia still have not installed smoke detectors in their homes. Experience shows that often it is the absence of these detectors that turns preventable fires into destructive ones.
Summarizing the past year, the State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) notes that in many cases, fires had to be extinguished in buildings where the ignition could have been prevented at an early stage if smoke detectors had been installed to timely warn of danger.
Deputy Chief of the SFRS Ivars Nakurts reminds that the requirement for the installation of smoke detectors in Latvia has been in effect for several years. "Since 2020, smoke detectors must be installed in all residential premises - both in apartments and private houses. If there is no detector in the dwelling, it is considered a violation of fire safety regulations, for which a fine ranging from 30 to 280 euros may be imposed. However, firefighters do not have the right to enter private property, and the service does not conduct inspections in apartments - this is all up to the residents themselves," he says.
At the same time, in the regions, the SFRS sometimes conducts preventive conversations with residents of private houses, reminding them of the necessity of detectors. Residents of Riga surveyed by "TV3 Ziņas" emphasize that installing a smoke detector is important, and many already have this device at home.
"Since we moved into our new house, we have a detector. We installed it ourselves. I think people start to think about it when the Christmas season with candles arrives," says Riga resident Daiga. Meanwhile, Madara, who came to visit Latvia from the Netherlands, notes that there is a different approach in other European countries: "In the Netherlands, everyone has them. There are simply no other options. The homeowner sends out letters and organizes everything. It’s free. For safety reasons, it wouldn’t hurt to implement this in Latvia as well."
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