Dorm Fires

Reginald Mitchell Jr
Residence Hall Fires
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. Based on the U.S. Safety product Commission, cooking is the number two cause for dorm fires after arson. There are many different factors that surround how a student could start a fire while cooking, but the main issue is simple; one needs to pay close attention to what he or she is doing while cooking. This goes for cooking in general but especially in residence halls because students are usually in close proximity to each other and almost always have to share a kitchen. One pack of late night boiling ramen noodles left unattended could mean an entire hall being at danger of a fire in a community kitchen. Also the fact that students may not be used to having to cook for themselves could also lead to a couple dangers with fire. It may take some getting used to, but college students living in residence halls now have to live without the supervision of their parents. This being said, cooking is something that may take practice in order to be safe. Another big factor in residence hall fires is time of the year. According to the U.S. Fire administration February is the month with the highest percentage of fires at thirteen percent. This