According to information compiled by the Finnish National Rescue Association (SPEK), no less than 84 people have already lost their lives in house fires this year.
Last year, 103 people in all perished in fires in Finland. The year before the total number of fire victims was 90.
According to a study conducted by SPEK and the If P&C Insurance Company, nearly 90 per cent of the Finnish population have never taken part in any fire drills and rehearsed how to escape from a fire.
The majority of the more than a thousand Finns interviewed for the survey said they would be willing to invest no more than EUR 50 in home fire safety equipment such as fire alarms.
Finland's figures for fire-deaths are alarmingly and obstinately high.
On an annual basis, approximately 100 people die in fires in Finland, which is a large number in proportion to the population. The country fares very poorly when compared with other Western European countries, although the figures fall far short of those in Russia and Estonia.
Alcohol and smoking in bed remain two primary causes.
