What you can do to prevent dorm fires Published May 5, 2008 By Crash, Fire and Rescue Station 14th Civil Engineer Squadron COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. -- Dorms are some of the most vulnerable spots for fires, an enclosed space that's often filled with electrical equipment and a number of other fire hazards. While fire prevention and fire safety is something that every member of the Columbus AFB family has been briefed on, many personnel overlook potentially dangerous objects and situations that lead to fires, injury, and even death. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that fires in dorms have almost doubled in recent years; 1,800 fires were reported in 1998, and 3,300 were reported in 2005. A dorm fire is most commonly caused by unattended cooking. Fire safety is critical in these small spaces; here are a few tips on preventing a dorm fire: 1. Never leave your cooking unattended. According to the NFPA cooking equipment causes 72 percent of dorm fires, so it is very important that you always stay in the immediate area when you are cooking. 2. Avoid using portable heaters. Small heaters do help in warming up a frigid dorm room, but the risk of combustion can make these a dangerous addition to a dorm room. Make use of blankets, and down comforters. 3. Avoid electrical overload. Power strips and extension cords are highly combustible and can cause many electrical injuries if they are not used correctly. Use as few power strips as possible. 4. Don't cover the smoke alarm. Decorations and even furniture that end up covering the smoke alarm are a dangerous choice. Make sure the smoke alarm has good batteries and is operational at all times. 5. Burning of candles or incense in all dorms on base is prohibited. 6. Don't smoke! Not only are you breaking the no smoking policy in the dorms, but you are creating a fire hazard. Make sure you're smoking in a designated area and avoid potential disaster. For more information, call the Fire Department at 434-2262.
