Commentary
People in Queensland, and throughout Australia, watched in horror when they saw television images of a burning house in Clayfied, Brisbane in which a six-year-old boy, Max Chirila, died during a horrific blaze, likely caused by an electrical fault. As the roof of the house had collapsed, it was not immediately possible to ascertain whether smoke alarms had been installed in the house, which potentially could have alerted the boy to the grave danger.
The Queensland Parliament adopted strict new laws on smoke alarms, which owners-occupiers of a dwelling must comply with by 2027. In enacting the legislation, the parliament responded to, or anticipated, tragedies like the one which happened in the early hours of Easter Monday when Chirila was consumed by the ravenous flames during the conflagration.
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