State Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney says Mississippi has received a federal grant of nearly $500,000 to help reduce fire deaths.

Chaney says the grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will provide free smoke alarms to about 10,000 households at or below the poverty level.

A news release from Chaney’s office says Mississippi leads the nation in fire deaths.

Chaney says so far this year, 35 fire deaths have been investigated by the state Fire Marshal’s Office. The state had were 74 fire deaths in 2007.