How can students prevent dorm fires? The answer to that question may seem simple but that doesn’t change the fact that residence hall fires are a growing problem in colleges across the nation. Students use of basic electronic cooking utensils such as microwaves, smoking products, candles or incense are all different entities that can start fires in dorms. Dorm room fires can lead to serious injury or possibly even death, but there are ways to prevent fires. Studies show that arson, cooking, smoking, open flame, electrical distribution, and appliances are the top causes of dorm fires in that order. When discussing residence hall fire safety one should consider how fires start, how they can be prevented, and possible physical injury (or property damage) to ensure a safe way of living.
Since I’ve always considered a lit candle unimportant in the general scheme of things, I never truly realized (until I watched the fire safety video) how dangerous even a small flame can be. For me it was tough to realize that no matter how good it smells or how calming it may be, a lit candle still an open flame and even though it is not probable, something unexpected may happen and something could easily light on fire. I found the video off of one of the blogs that was posted on the website you sent. The video really opened my eyes on how fast a fire can spread, especially in a 8’x19’ room filled with papers, wood desks, and many other, extremely flammable things. Our rooms are full of things that would immediately fuel the flames. Also, if the fire alarm were to go off, the sprinklers would begin to spray not only my room, but also the entire building drenching everything. Then the fire department would be sent and in moments things could go completely wrong. Knowing that I could have been the person behind all of that, I would never be able to forgive myself. Through watching this video and reading various articles and blogs on pbfeducation.org. I found a lot about
Cited: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlfs-QQsAB4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlfs-QQsAB4. Igot2kno.org- FAQ candle safety. http://www.pbfeducation.org/files/THAB-Practice_Burn_Safety.pdf. National Health Interview Survey, Safe Kids Worldwide, National Hospital Discharge Data.