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Deadly Fires Threaten College Campuses

Don't think it can't happen to you

NORTHBROOK, Ill., - Aug. 24, 2005 - Most students arriving on campus are focused on class schedules, football and social life, unaware that the first two months of the school year are among the deadliest for student housing fires.

Since January 2000, 75 people have died in student housing fires, according to the Center for Campus Fire Safety, a non-profit dedicated to improving fire safety on college campuses. Nearly 30 percent of those deaths occurred in August and September.

"There is no doubt that the beginning of the year is a hectic time for students who are adjusting to being away from home for the first time, or moving into their first apartment," says Ed Comeau, director for the Center for Campus Fire Safety. "But it is also the time of year for students to consider fire safety, so that they can take steps to prevent fires from happening and, if a fire does occur, they are prepared to get out safely."

Whether a student lives in a residence hall, Greek housing or off-campus apartment, Comeau says that common elements of fatal student housing fires include missing or disabled smoke alarms, careless disposal of smoking materials, alcohol consumption and a lack of automatic fire sprinklers. In almost every case, he says, fires in student housing are preventable, which makes each fatality so tragic.

"Student living means rooms full of books, paper, bedding, curtains, and clothes - plus many potential fire hazards in a very small area," says John Drengenberg, manager of Consumer Affairs at UL, the not-for-profit product safety testing organization. "In this situation, even the tiniest spark can be deadly."

Comeau says that students often make a potentially deadly mistake by ignoring safety deficiencies in off-campus housing. This is especially true in older or converted houses, which are often harder to make fire safe and should be closely examined before moving in.

He cites a fire in January 2003 near Tufts University, outside of Boston, where a young woman died in an off-campus apartment that was built inside a garage that had no kitchen area or bathroom facilities. The only entrance into the apartment was a 2 foot by 3 foot opening and a ladder.

Comeau suggests the following steps to stay fire safe in off-campus housing:

  • Look for housing with automatic sprinklers.
  • Make sure there are working smoke alarms on each floor of the house. If the smoke alarms are interconnected, this will add an extra layer of safety.
  • If the landlord won't install smoke alarms, buy them yourself. For the cost of a pizza, you can save your life.
  • Have a fire extinguisher in kitchen and know how to use it.
  • Make sure there are at least two exits from your room.
  • Are there enough power outlets? If not, this could mean building is not up to code and could have other issues as well.
  • Call the local fire department and schedule a free inspection. They can also help you talk with landlords to make sure any violations are addressed.

Causes and solutions to preventing fires

Drengenberg says that arson, careless smoking, unattended candles and cooking, as well as overloaded extension cords and power outlets are among the most common causes for fires in student housing. Because of this, students need to understand and respect the importance of working smoke alarms.

"Smoke alarms are there to provide you time to escape should a fire occur," he says. "Students should never disable any smoke alarm by taking out the battery or think any alarm is false. Whenever an alarm sounds, react immediately. Fires can spread so quickly that students need to understand that the difference between safety and tragedy could be just a few minutes."

The safety professionals at UL offer these tips to help students prevent fires from happening:

Electrical tips:

  • Look for the UL Mark on any electrical product you use;
  • Do not overload extension cords, power strips or outlets;
  • Be wary of cords and electrical outlets that are too hot to touch;
  • Do not connect multiple extension cords together;
  • Do not route cords under doors or carpets;
  • Never staple wires or extension cords;
  • Use light bulbs with correct wattage for lamps;
  • Never drape towels or clothes over any lamp.

Cooking tips:

  • Cook only where rules allow and pay attention;
  • Never plug more than one high-wattage appliance into a single outlet;
  • Keep cooking surfaces clean;
  • Never pour water on a grease fire; Instead, simply cover the pan with a lid and smother the fire;
  • Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher handy;

Candles and smoking

  • Limit open flames in living areas, especially bedrooms;
  • Keep smoking to a minimum - smoke outside;
  • Keep candles in a sturdy holder - and away from papers, curtains and bedding;
  • Candles should be extinguished when not needed and never left unattended.

After parties:

  • Clean up immediately after parties - take all trash out;
  • Douse all smoking materials:
  • Check for cigarettes between cushions of all couches before going to bed.

Recognizing the threat from campus fires, federal legislators are proposing several laws to improve fire safety on campuses, including designating September as Campus Fire Safety Month.

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