Aucklander
The man who tried to rescue a girl killed in a Papatoetoe house fire two months ago has launched a petition for all rental homes to be fitted with smoke alarms.
Brian Keogh had a hold of eight-year-old Chelsea-May Lising through the bedroom window of her East Tamaki Rd home during the February blaze.
But a fireball forced him to let go. Chelsea-May died in the fire and her 10-year-old brother Jetal Lising died the next day in Middlemore Hospital.
He is petitioning the Government to make landlords install smoke alarms in rental properties as part of a mandatory requirement under the Residential Tenancies Act.
Counties Manukau community fire education officer George Stephens says the tragedy could have been prevented had the home been fitted with working smoke alarms.
Manukau chief fire officer Larry Cocker says it supports Mr Keogh's campaign.
'Fire Service statistics show that a large percentage of house fires occur in properties that are rented.
'It's important the occupants of those dwellings are protected by smoke alarms.'
Mr Cocker says landlords and tenants may disagree about who should install and maintain the devices.
'That's an issue where we are going to try and educate people that it is really important that smoke alarms remain working.'
Mr Keogh's petition can be signed at most chemists and banks in Otahuhu. He is aiming to get the petition into Papatoetoe chemists and banks next week and into other suburbs in the near future.
(Abridged)
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