It's Daylight Saving Time again with the official local time moved one hour ahead at 2 a.m. this morning.

Bay Area fire departments urge everyone to change their smoke alarm batteries--or check electrically-wired alarms--at the same time they advance the time on their clocks.

Fire departments suggest making a habit of changing smoke alarm batteries by having the battery replacements coincide with changing the clocks in the fall and spring.

Fire deaths are most often caused by toxic smoke and gases, according to the San Francisco Fire Department, so it's important to have a working smoke detector that will alert residents early.

More than 66 percent of home fire deaths between 2003 and 2006 were in homes without working smoke alarms, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire recommends changing smoke alarm batteries twice each year, always using new batteries to replace the old ones, and also to replace the smoke alarms every 10 years.

Janna Brancolini, Bay City News

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