Do people use smoke detectors here? I've been in Europe for almost 12 years and I don't think I've seen them anywhere. Back home (Canada) you see them everywhere and every year there are campaigns to change your batteries!

Asking because I nearly caused a fire last night, cleaning lady moved the halogen light too close to the wood ceiling and I turned it on and forgot about it, 2 hours latter it was close to igniting

In office buildings I think they're required - and possibly even in new constructions. But in flats, I've never seen one nor known anyone who has bought one. Back home in the USA and Canada there are big campaigns promoting their use and purchase, that's totally true. In stand-alone houses as we have them there, I can understand their necessity. In flats in the cities I don't think they're as necessary. Plus, houses in the USA are generally built of wood and flats in the cities are built of brick and steel so things don't get out of control so fast here.

By the way, your flat has a wood ceiling? That's pretty unusual, I'd say. Or do you live in a house/chalet?

Saludos, MadridMan

Well they are popular in the UK .. My mum has them all over the house here . The Fire Brigade often put out adverts to make sure people have them set up . All businesses in the UK are required to have them .
My apartment block in Madrid ( Barrio Salamanca ) had smoke detectors on alternate floors .
We had one occasion when my neighbours below ( 3 young guys ) obviously forgot their cooking and the alarms went off . La Presidente de la Comunidad went door to door to find the culprits . They were just given a stern warning .
But we also had fire exstinguishers on every floor .. I was on the top floor ( sexto ) .. and the exstinguisher was placed above the stairs .. I could barely reach it and i'm an average height ( 5 feet 10 ) .. . The bomberos never visited us for safety inspections as far as i'm aware .

no I live way up in Navacarrada in a chalet. Spent 7 years in Germany and don't ever remember seeing a smoke detector there either.

BTW speaking of closing the barn door after the horse has fled, I finally did buy a fire extinguisher.

We also put in a fire place insert (cassette in Spanish) to keep the heating costs down.

we have them in England but are not the law, theres been a big campaign on them by the fire brigade and have handed out fire alarms by the thousands (i have mine free and top quality)they cost around a fiver (£5.00) including battery the one off the fire brigade cost around £15.00 each, the theory is the cost of saving someones life by being called out, is outwayed by the cost of the smoke detector.
The problem they have is when someone is cooking and the alarm goes off people take the battery out to stop it shreeking, and dont put it back hence they then have no smoke alarm.

I don't think I've even seen smoke detectors for sale in Spain, although I guess you could find them at your local hardware store. With so much brick, steel, and concrete used in construction (and no wood), I'd guess the incidence of fire is far less than in wooden constructions like in the USA.

Saludos, MadridMan