Apartment Fire Safety: Smoke Alarms, Escape Plans and Top Risks

Apartment living puts many households under one roof, which means one person's fire can become everyone's emergency. The good news is that the most effective protections are simple and inexpensive. This guide draws on research from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and safety guidance from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).

Smoke alarms: the single biggest difference

NFPA's 2024 report Smoke Alarms in US Home Fires, which analyzed fires from 2018 to 2022, found that nearly three out of five home fire deaths (59%) happened in properties with no smoke alarms (43%) or with alarms that failed to operate (16%). The death rate per 1,000 reported home fires was about 60% lower in homes with working smoke alarms. When alarms did not work, missing, dead or disconnected power sources were the most common reason.

The USFA's maintenance advice:

• Test alarms monthly.
• Replace batteries at least once a year in alarms that use replaceable 9-volt batteries.
• Replace the entire alarm 10 years after its manufacture date.
• Have alarms inside and outside each sleeping area and on every level.
• Interconnected alarms, which all sound when one does, give earlier warning.

Renter tip: Many state and local laws require landlords to install smoke alarms, and some assign testing or battery duties to tenants. Requirements vary, so check your lease and local code. Texas, for example, requires landlords to provide smoke alarms and bars tenants from disabling them, according to the Texas Attorney General. Never remove a battery to stop nuisance alarms; ask management to fix or relocate the device.

Make an apartment escape plan

The USFA warns that you may have less than two minutes to get out once a smoke alarm sounds. A plan made in advance saves those seconds.

• Know two ways out of every room where possible, and the location of every stairwell on your floor.
• Pick a meeting spot outside the building.
• Practice at least twice a year, including at night.
• Use the stairs, never the elevator. USFA guidance for high-rises notes elevators may stop working or be taken over by firefighters.
• Close doors behind you, including stairwell doors, and never prop fire doors open. Stairwell doors help keep smoke out of escape routes.
• If you cannot get out, call 911, stay in a room with the door closed and seal gaps with wet towels.

Closed doors also protect you while you sleep. Research by the UL Fire Safety Research Institute, promoted under the "Close Before You Doze" campaign, recorded far lower temperatures and carbon monoxide levels in closed bedrooms than in open ones during test fires.

Risk 1: Cooking

Cooking is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries, according to NFPA. Its 2023 report found cooking caused an average of 158,400 reported home structure fires a year from 2017 to 2021, 44% of all reported home fires. Unattended cooking was the leading contributing factor. The USFA says unattended equipment was a factor in 37% of nonconfined residential cooking fires.

• Stay in the kitchen while frying, boiling, grilling or broiling. If you leave, turn the burner off.
• Keep a lid or baking sheet nearby to smother a pan fire, and turn off the heat. Never pour water on a grease fire.
• Keep towels, packaging and oven mitts away from the stovetop.

Risk 2: Space heaters

USFA data show portable heaters account for only about 3% of home heating fires but 41% of fatal heating fires in residential buildings (2017-2019). Its rules of thumb:

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from heaters, radiators and other heat sources.
• Turn space heaters off when you leave the room or go to bed.
• Never use an oven to heat your apartment.
• If your landlord is not providing adequate heat, report it in writing rather than relying on makeshift heating; many states and cities set minimum heat standards.

Risk 3: Lithium-ion batteries

E-bikes, e-scooters and other rechargeable devices have become a growing source of apartment fires. Fire officials advise buying devices and batteries certified by a recognized testing lab, using only the manufacturer's charger, charging on the floor away from your door and exits, and not charging while asleep or away. See our dedicated guide to lithium-ion battery fires for details.

A five-minute monthly checklist

1. Press the test button on every smoke alarm.
2. Check the manufacture date on the back of each alarm.
3. Walk your escape route and make sure hallways and stairs are clear.
4. Confirm the space heater is at least 3 feet from bedding and curtains.
5. Look at chargers and batteries for swelling, heat or damage.