'Drastic reduction' in fire deaths possible

Firefighters say regulating the amount of flammable material used in furniture could reduce the number of people killed in house fires by up to half. The government is looking into whether regulating furniture and its flammability is warranted. Fire and Emergency says most couches, sofas and padded furniture contain polyurethane, which essentially acts as an accelerant. Fire and Emergency's national adviser of fire risk management, Peter Gallagher, told RNZ's Adriana Weber limiting the amount of polyurethane used in furniture would ensure a fire doesn't spread as quickly and could save lives.