A tragedy we can’t ignore
The heartbreaking death of a Canterbury teenager in a foam-fuelled house fire is a wake-up call for all of us in Aotearoa. It highlights not just a personal loss, but a systemic gap in how we regulate and think about everyday products inside our homes. The coroner’s ruling was clear: flexible polyurethane foam in furniture burns fast, releases toxic smoke, and remains largely unregulated in New Zealand.

Why it matters for every household
Most of us assume the sofa we sit on meets safety standards. In reality, New Zealand still relies on voluntary guidance rather than mandatory regulation for foam-filled furniture. Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s own demonstrations show how rapidly a room becomes unsurvivable when polyurethane foam ignites. The fatality underscores how this material, so common and cheap, can turn deadly in seconds.

Learning from overseas
Many countries already require ignition resistance, flame-retardant treatments, or clear labelling for foam furniture. These rules don’t eliminate all risk, but they give consumers a fighting chance and create transparency about what they’re buying. New Zealand can look to those models and adapt them to our context, especially as we push toward healthier, low-carbon building and furnishing standards.

Safer materials are available now
There’s no shortage of alternatives. Natural fibres such as New Zealand wool, natural latex, and solid timber can replace or drastically reduce the volume of polyurethane foam used in everyday furniture. These options are renewable, low-VOC, and far less flammable. They also have the side benefit of supporting our local economy and reducing imports.

A call to action for industry and government
This tragedy should be a catalyst for three changes:

1. Mandatory labelling and disclosure of fill materials in all upholstered furniture sold in New Zealand.

2. Clear fire safety standards for furniture fillings and finishes, aligned with international best practice.

3. Support for local, safer materials using mechanisms like the Wood Processing Growth Fund to accelerate uptake of natural fibres and timbers in mainstream production.

How consumers can respond right now

• Ask retailers what the fill materials are in the furniture you’re considering.

• Look for wool, latex, and solid timber options.

• Pay attention to ventilation and smoke alarms.. small steps that improve your safety regardless of the material.

A moment of leadership for New Zealand
We have a unique chance to lead globally: to combine our strengths in natural materials, Māori and local stewardship, and innovative design to create a safer, lower-carbon furniture sector. The foam fatality is a tragedy we must honour by learning from it. And by making sure no family has to experience the same preventable loss.

Further Reading & Sources

These articles and documents provide background and context for the issues discussed in this piece:

1. Coroner’s Report — Lack of foam furniture rules likely led to teenager Lizzy Marvin’s death in blaze, coroner rules – RNZ (2025)
   https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/573364/lack-of-foam-furniture-rules-likely-led-to-teenager-lizzy-marvin-s-death-in-blaze-coroner-rules

2. Government Accountability — Coroner blames unsafe sofa and “deplorable” MBIE inaction for Canterbury teen Lizzy Marvin’s death in house fire – NZ Herald (2025)
   https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/coroner-blames-unsafe-sofa-and-deplorable-mbie-inaction-for-canterbury-teen-lizzy-marvins-death-in-house-fire/4IXPD7K45RBSJO5O6UMW3VZ64U/

3. Product Safety Policy Statement — Foam-filled furniture – Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) / Product Safety NZ
   https://www.productsafety.govt.nz/for-businesses/making-sure-products-are-safe/product-safety-policy-statements/foam-filled-furniture

4. Government Discussion Document — Product Safety: Foam-filled Furniture – Reducing Harm from Fire – MBIE (PDF)
   https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/1315-product-safety-foam-filled-furniture-discussion-document-pdf

5. Advocacy Perspective — Advocacy group says it repeatedly warned governments of fire risk caused by foam furniture before death of teen – RNZ
   https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/573935/advocacy-group-says-it-repeatedly-warned-governments-of-fire-risk-caused-by-foam-furntiure-before-death-of-teen

6. Technical Context — Flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF): The deadly fuel hiding in your home – NZ Herald (The Front Page)
   https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/flexible-polyurethane-foam-fpuf-the-deadly-fuel-hiding-in-your-home-the-front-page/SMT67C7SSJBB3JYXH6IIBVLWSA/

7. Policy Response — Fire risk of foam-filled furniture addressed – Beehive / MBIE Press Release
   https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/fire-risk-foam-filled-furniture-addressed

8. Public Pressure — Call for regulation of foam-filled furniture after teen’s death in blaze – 1News
   https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/09/18/call-for-regulation-of-foam-filled-furniture-after-teens-death-in-blaze/

9. Ongoing Warnings — Teen may still be alive if warnings about fire risk of foam furniture weren’t ignored – Otago Daily Times
   https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-christchurch/teen-may-still-be-alive-if-warnings-about-foam-furniture-fire-risk-not-rnz