The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Center for Campus Fire Safety (CCFS) have collaborated again on the annual Campus Fire Safety Month campaign this September.
The campaign intends to provide fire safety education and resources to students, parents and campus housing staff alongside administrators to help make resident living spaces as safe as possible.
This year’s campaign will be focused the importance of safe cooking practices and lithium-ion battery safety, drawing attention to two significant fire hazards in student residences.
According to the latest NFPA statistics, US fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 3,231 structure fires in dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses and barracks from 2019 -2023.
These incidents resulted in an annual average of 19 civilian injuries, and $19 million in direct property damage.
Roughly three out of four fires in these properties started in the kitchen or cooking area, accounting for 58 percent of civilian injuries and 11 percent of the direct property damage.
Cooking equipment was involved in nearly eight out of 10 fires; unattended equipment was the most common factor contributing to the ignition of these fires.
Lorraine Carli, Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA and CCFS Advisory Council member shared: “As students adjust to life on campus, cooking quickly becomes one of the leading daily fire risks.
“Unattended cooking and the improper use of kitchen appliances remain the primary causes of cooking fires in student housing.
“Taking these factors into account, NFPA and CCFS underscore the critical need to develop smart cooking habits as part of this year’s Campus Fire Safety Month campaign.”
The NFPA also highlighted how while cooking remains a leading cause of fires in campus housing, there is growing concern on college campuses about the increasing number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.
CCFS President Alan Sactor discussed the urgency of education around battery and technology use, saying: “College students rely on technology and micromobility devices like e-bikes and e-scooters and smaller electronics such as cell phones, laptops and tablets every day, but it’s critical that they know how to use and store them safely.
“The batteries that power these devices can present safety hazards such as overheating, fire, or even explosions. NFPA and the CCFS are working together to help educate all members of the college and university campus community on how to safely use, store and charge these devices to reduce the risk of fire.
“Our partnership with NFPA allows us to reach thousands of students with practical steps that help reduce fire risks on and off campus.”
The National Fire Protection Association and The Center for Campus Fire Safety have collaborated again on the annual Campus Fire Safety Month campaign this September.
