For Hamidah, they represent peace of mind: a shield protecting her family from crime, especially the break-ins that have become increasingly common in housing areas.

“People are getting more desperate these days, and break-ins are on the rise. So, we feel safer when all our windows and doors are fitted with grilles,” she told Bernama recently.

Yet her sense of security is shaken by frequent reports of fire victims who have died trapped behind the very grilles that are meant to protect them.

Hamidah’s fears are not unfounded: Kelantan fire and rescue department (JBPM) director Farhan Sufyan Borhan is all too familiar with house fires involving deaths due to fixed grilles.

“Grilles that cannot be opened from the inside make rescue operations very difficult. We need to use crowbars or power cutters to break them, and this takes extra time.

“In a fire, every minute is critical as toxic smoke and high temperatures can kill victims very quickly,” he said.

In Kelantan alone, at least three fire-related deaths have been recorded since 2004 where victims could not escape because of iron grilles. Among them was an elderly woman who perished when her main grille door was locked with an external padlock.

“The padlock was on the outside. The fire spread from the kitchen and living room, leaving no way out. By the time we arrived, she was already unconscious from inhaling thick smoke,” he recalled.

In Sarawak, a tragic case saw two grandmothers and their two grandchildren trapped upstairs. The blaze began on the lower floor, blocking the staircase, while the upstairs window grilles were padlocked shut.

They were later found burnt to death, clinging to each other in a bedroom.

“Such incidents leave a deep mark on every rescuer. We imagine the victims desperately seeking safety but, in the end, they could only wait for death,” he said.

Even digital-coded grille doors, though sophisticated and seemingly secure, can become death traps during emergencies – especially if victims panic and forget the code or the system fails.

In one case in Selangor, a victim died of smoke inhalation after forgetting the digital code in panic, unable to unlock the grille in time.

“This is what we want the public to understand: grilles are important for crime prevention, but they must be life-friendly. Otherwise, they stop being protection and become your own grave,” he stressed.

Farhan noted that many homeowners prioritise protection against burglars while neglecting safety during emergencies. And in moments of panic, locating a padlock key or recalling a digital code is nearly impossible.

“Usually in panic, our brains fail to focus. In thick smoke and darkness, people forget where the key is. Sometimes the padlock is hidden for security but, in the end, it becomes a trap.”

He added that some owners use large padlocks, or even multiple locks – unaware that this delays rescue efforts.

“Imagine firefighters arriving to find two padlocks on the front grille. We have to cut them one by one, while the fire spreads and smoke fills the house. Victims inside may suffocate within minutes.”

More worrying are welded grilles with no opening panels or escape windows. While they are sturdier, they provide no way out if the main egress is blocked by fire or collapse.

“The safest option is a grille with a simple quick-release system that can be opened from inside. But many are afraid burglars might figure it out,” Farhan said.

Despite recurring tragedies, he highlighted that JBPM has no authority to enforce grille design standards for homes in Malaysia. Installation and design remain the choice of homeowners and contractors.

Still, JBPM recommends every home have at least one emergency exit free from padlocks or codes. The department recommends quick-release grilles, which can be fully opened from inside by simply turning a latch.

Such designs are widely used in Singapore and Hong Kong, especially in high-rise apartments, ensuring an escape route during fires or earthquakes. But in Malaysia, such life-friendly designs are less popular, with homeowners preferring strength over survivability.

“Without public awareness and mindset change, tragedies will continue, with homes turning into deadly traps,” he warned.

Check back in for part two of this article tomorrow.