Welcome to Museum of Fires Past

Museum of Fires Past is an exhibition of burnt items inspired by real house fires and real people’s stories. All items have a message written on a plaque explaining how they perished, with the owners surviving the blaze thanks to having working smoke alarms in the right places.

Launched as the final phase of the Daylight Saving 2022 smoke alarm campaign, the exhibit highlights the destructive power of a house fire and provides a potent reminder that while smoke alarms might not save your belongings, they could save your life or the lives of your whānau.

Museum of Fires Past features a burnt teddy bear, a melted gaming controller and a pair of scorched sneakers.

The range of objects and scenarios show how the heat and smoke can affect different belongings and items, reinforcing just how important it is to have working smoke alarms, in the right places.

The exhibits are installed in three consecutive bus shelters along the busy Oriental Parade in Wellington, for maximum exposure and talkability.

The visually confronting campaign is aimed at New Zealanders aged 18-54 with a specific focus on homeowners and landlords, who will be targeted via digital banners using TradeMe data, and will also feature on outdoor posters and in social channels, supported by radio advertising.

Help us share this message. Resources are available on the Risk Reduction bookshelf(external link) and in the Facebook Admins Group.