September is Campus Fire Safety Month. Fire prevention starts with you: simple choices can make a big difference.
Campus Fire Safety Month is a good time to take a look at the everyday habits that can prevent a fire before it starts.
Most people don't wake up expecting to start a fire.
But fires often begin with ordinary activities: preparing a meal, plugging in electronics, using an appliance, or charging a battery.
For college students, many of these activities may be part of living independently for the first time. Understanding the potential hazards — and making a few simple choices — can help prevent a fire before it ever starts.
The Center for Campus Fire Safety (CCFS) and the National Fire Protection Association provide students with resources focused on some of the most common fire hazards found in campus living environments, including cooking and electrical equipment.
Here are some simple ways Shockers can help prevent fires.
1. Stay in the kitchen when you're cooking
Cooking is one of the most common causes of fires in student housing, making the kitchen an important place to practice fire prevention.
CCFS recommends staying in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food and cooking only when you are alert. Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop and keep your cooking area clean and uncluttered.
That means putting down the phone, stepping away from the video game, and resisting the temptation to leave something cooking while you run a quick errand. If you're cooking, stay with it.
What if a grease fire starts?
One of the most important things to remember is: Never put water on a grease fire.
Water can cause burning oil to splatter and spread the fire.
CCFS recommends keeping a lid nearby while cooking so you can use it to smother a small grease fire. For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed. For a microwave fire, keep the door closed and unplug the unit if it is safe to do so.
If you are ever unsure about what to do, evacuate and call for help.
2. Give your electrical devices some space
Phones, laptops, televisions, gaming systems, chargers and other electronics are part of everyday campus life. But the way those devices are plugged in matters.
WSU identifies electrical violations as its no. 1 fire-safety violation and provides specific guidance for the safe use of extension cords, power strips and other electrical equipment.
Avoid overloading outlets or power strips. Don't connect power strips or extension cords together to create additional outlets.
If a cord is frayed, damaged or otherwise unsafe, don't use it. And keep electrical cords away from heat sources and areas where they could be damaged.
More plugs don't always mean more power.
3. Don't use extension cords as permanent wiring
Extension cords are designed to provide temporary power — not to become a permanent part of a room's electrical system.
WSU's electrical-safety guidance emphasizes proper use of extension cords and power strips.
Never use a multi-outlet extension cord.
Never use a damaged extension cord, and don't run cords where they can become a tripping hazard or be damaged, such as under rugs or doors.
4. Turn appliances off when you're finished
It's easy to walk away from an appliance without thinking about it.
CCFS specifically includes turning off appliances as a student fire-safety practice.
Before leaving a room or going to bed, take a quick look around:
- Is the stove turned off?
- Is the toaster or other cooking appliance turned off?
- Are appliances that aren't designed to operate continuously unplugged?
- Are chargers and other equipment being used safely?
A few seconds of attention can prevent a much bigger problem.
5. Skip the candles and open flames
Candles, incense and other open flames can quickly turn into a fire when they are left unattended or placed too close to something that can burn.
The use of candles and other open flames is prohibited in WSU facilities.
6. Remember that space heaters are prohibited on campus
When temperatures begin to change, it can be tempting to bring a personal space heater to campus.
Don't.
WSU Policy 11.20 generally prohibits portable space heaters in campus buildings, including residence halls. The policy identifies fire, electrical and energy-management concerns associated with portable heaters.
If your workspace or residence hall room is consistently too hot or too cold, report the problem rather than bringing in an unauthorized heater.
7. Charge e-bikes and scooters responsibly
Battery-powered mobility devices can make getting around campus easier, but their batteries also need attention.
WSU identifies the potential fire hazards associated with battery-powered mobility devices as part of its campus fire-safety resources.
Charging battery-powered mobility devices is not allowed in WSU facilities and cannot be stored in entryways, corridors or stairwells.
8. Keep fire hazards away from heat
Fire needs three things: heat, fuel and oxygen. You can often prevent a fire simply by keeping the fuel away from the heat.
Don't place paper, clothing, bedding, decorations or other combustible materials next to heat-producing equipment.
Keep cooking areas clean and uncluttered, and don't let items accumulate around appliances or other heat sources.
It's a simple habit with a big payoff: If it can burn, keep it away from the heat.
Your five-minute fire-safety challenge
This week's challenge is simple: Look around your room, office or apartment and find three potential fire hazards.
Maybe it's an overloaded power strip.
Maybe it's a damaged cord.
Maybe it's something sitting too close to a heat source.
Maybe it's an appliance that was left running when it shouldn't be.
Fix what you can. Report what you can't.
Then take one more minute to think about your cooking habits.
If you're preparing food, do you stay in the kitchen?
If you cook with oil, do you know what to do if it catches fire?
If you answered no to either question, take a few minutes to learn before you need the information.
Learn more about campus fire safety
The Center for Campus Fire Safety is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the loss of life from fire on college and university campuses. CCFS provides educational programs and resources for students, educators and the greater campus community.
For more student fire safety information and tips, visit Campus Fire and Life Safety for Students.