If you are among the throngs of parents sending a child off to college this fall, you probably won’t want to read this column – but you should.
Since 2000, 89 fires have killed 126 people on college campuses, in Greek housing or in off-campus housing within three miles of the campus. Of these: 76 off-campus fires caused 107 deaths, seven on-campus building or residence hall fires claimed nine victims, six fires in Greek housing took the lives of 10 people. Thirty-eight of the fires resulted from unattended cooking, unsupervised or improper candle use, or an electrical problem.
Structure fires in college housing structures are more common between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. and on weekends. In 2009-2013, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 3,870 structure fires in dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses, and barracks; 86 percent of the reported structure fires involved cooking equipment. September is one of the worst months for fatal campus-related housing fires.
What many college students don’t realize is that fire doubles in volume every 30 to 60 seconds, and if you don’t get out in the first few minutes of a fire, your odds of getting out safely decrease by the second. In just a couple of minutes, an entire room or multiple rooms can be engulfed in fames and smoke. It’s important to educate your college student to not ignore a smoke detector or fire alarm.
Many students move off campus and this too can be very dangerous. Approximately 66 percent of students attending school in the United States live in off-campus housing. Unfortunately, off-campus housing fires are just as common and can be just as fatal. According to the Center for Campus Fire Safety, between the period of January 2000 – June 2015, there have been 76 off-campus fires, resulting in 107 student fatalities.
Many of these off-campus rental units and homes are not subjected to the same number of safety inspections that you would find on campus. In fact, some of the landlords don’t invest in proper safety features, nor do they inspect their own property for safety infractions once students move in.
My son just moved into a 100-year-old house off campus with three of his friends, and I was surprised to discover smoke detectors were missing in a couple of the bedrooms. What was more concerning was that this probably would not have been addressed if I hadn’t insisted on it.
Talking to the landlord about fire safety is crucial when evaluating a new rental property. As a parent, you should find out if every room has a smoke alarm and whether they are hardwired or use batteries. Find out if the property comes equipped with a fire extinguisher and whether every room has an escape route. And make sure there are enough outlets so the available outlets don’t become overloaded.
In addition, review the following safety tips with your college student:
‣ Flee as soon as you hear an alarm. When the fire alarm or smoke detector sounds, get out of the building – fast and never delay or go back inside the building to get your “things.”
‣ Do not use water on a grease fire. It only makes the fire worse, and hot oil can splatter and burn you.
‣ Don’t cook when you’re sleepy.
‣ Respect your smoke detector. Too many fire deaths have occurred when a smoke detector has been disabled. Always leave the batteries in, never undo the cover, and don’t take the smoke detector off the wall or ceiling.
‣ Keep exits clear. We get it, there’s not a lot of space in your dorm room or apartment, but that doesn’t mean you should store your bikes or suitcases or whatever in halls and stairwells – and especially not in front of exit doors.
‣ Use recommended wattage on light bulbs. Using a bulb that exceeds the recommended wattage can lead to fires.
‣ Use flameless candles. Candles are one of the leading causes of fire in campus housing. Because of this, most colleges and universities won’t allow them in dorms. If you want to use candles, try the flameless kind.
‣ Be power safe. Never overload extension cords, power strips or outlets, as they can overload the circuit, causing it to heat up and catch fire.
‣ Regularly clean the dryer vent. Clothes dryers cause hundreds of injuries and too many deaths each year. It sounds silly but by cleaning the lint holder after every load, you reduce the chance lint can catch on fire.
‣ Turn off appliances. When you leave a room or apartment, always turn off the stove, iron, curling irons and other appliances.
‣ Don’t cover your lamp with a scarf. Covering lamps with a scarf might look nice and create a great atmosphere in your room, but it’s also a huge fire hazard.
Be safe, my friends.
Keven Moore works in risk management services. He has a bachelor’s degree from University of Kentucky, a master’s from Eastern Kentucky University and 25-plus years of experience in the safety and insurance profession. He lives in Lexington with his family and works out of both the Lexington and Northern Kentucky offices. Keven can be reached at kmoore@roeding.com.