If you (or your child) are heading off to college soon, the last thing on your mind is probably losing all your belongings to a fire or smoke damage. Surprisingly, fires are fairly common in dormitories and off-campus housing. According to the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 3,231 campus-related fires annually between 2019 and 2023. The property damage alone from these incidents cost an average of $19 million per year!
As a K-12 student, you probably endured dozens of fire drills on your school campuses, and likely worried little about your belongings being destroyed. Now that you’ll be living away from home, fire safety is something worth thinking about! Following some basic fire safety tips can go a long way toward keeping you and your belongings safe.
The Most Common Fire Hazards in College Housing
Here’s a common scenario in college housing: a student pops something in the microwave (popcorn, a cardboard pizza box or a takeout container), sets the timer and walks away to do something else for a few minutes. The container catches fire, the student opens the microwave door, and smoke billows out, triggering the building’s fire alarm system and forcing a building-wide evacuation.
In this scenario, the only real loss is typically the microwave, along with some embarrassment for the student. Cooking-related fires are the most common reasons for campus fires (about 83%, according to the U.S. Fire Administration). Other cooking-related fires include leaving an unattended pot on the stove, having flammable objects (dish towels, oven mitts, curtains) too close to a hot stove or using portable grills indoors.
However, cooking-related fires aren’t the only reasons for college housing fires — fires are also caused by:
Electrical failures: Plugging too many things into an extension cord or outlet, daisy-chaining power strips and frayed electrical cords
Open flames: Candles and cigarettes, including falling asleep while smoking
Lithium-ion batteries: Rechargeable batteries used in phones, laptops, e-bikes and e-scooters
Vandalism/pranks: Firecrackers, smoke bombs or deliberately set fires are the second-most common reasons for campus-related fires.
Fire Prevention Tips Every Student Should Follow
Fortunately, many campus-related fires are preventable, so knowing some basic fire safety tips could save your belongings and possibly even your life! Here’s how to prevent most campus fires:
Never leave pots or other cooking appliances unattended.
Avoid cooking if you’re overtired or intoxicated.
Charge devices safely (not overnight) and keep devices away from heat, direct sunlight and flammable items.
Don’t overload outlets or extension cords or plug multiple power strips together.
Be mindful of open flames such as candles or incense — make sure they are in safe holders or better yet, use flameless candles.
Make sure you thoroughly extinguish cigarettes and other smoking items.
Don’t disable smoke alarms or hang things from sprinklers.
Avoid using prohibited appliances indoors, such as grills, space heaters or hot plates.
Never play a prank that involves fire.
What to Do if a Fire Breaks Out
Even with the best prevention efforts, a fire may still be unavoidable. If a fire breaks out, knowing what to do can minimize damage or injury. First, determine if it’s a fire you can extinguish. For example, if a grease fire starts in a hot skillet, you can usually extinguish it by covering it with a lid. Ditto for a microwave fire don’t open the door (which lets in oxygen and feeds the fire) and unplug it.
Here are some other safety tips for what to do if a fire breaks out:
Familiarize yourself with evacuation routes (e.g., which stairway or window to use).
Only try to extinguish fires you can put out in the first few seconds (dump water on fire in a trashcan, cover a smoking pot, etc.)
Never pour water on a grease fire.
Don’t try to extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire, even with a fire extinguisher, because these fires are extremely dangerous and release toxic smoke. Leave the area immediately.
Evacuate the room and close the door behind you — don’t waste time trying to collect belongings.
Pull a fire alarm if one is available and yell “fire” to alert your neighbors.
Call 911 as soon as possible.
If you’re behind a door, feel the door to make sure it’s not hot before opening it. If it is, don’t open it and if possible, stuff wet towels around the door to seal off smoke.
Why Renters Insurance is a Fire Safety Essential
Losing all your belongings in a campus fire can be devastating. Even a minor fire can produce smoke that can damage your belongings. You might assume that if a fire breaks out in your dorm and destroys your belongings, your college will reimburse you for the replacement costs — but this isn’t true. When you sign a housing agreement, it typically states that the school is not liable for damage or destruction for any reason, even if faulty wiring in the building caused the fire.
Fortunately, you can gain peace of mind by purchasing renters insurance, which can reimburse you for the cost to replace your belongings! For example, renters insurance can help cover the cost to replace items such as:
Cell phones
Laptops
Clothing
Textbooks
Furniture
Bikes, scooters and sports equipment
Gaming systems and TVs
Jewelry
Stay Safe, Stay Protected With GradGuard
Not all renters insurance is the same — traditional renters insurance is geared toward working adults, not college students. Traditional renters insurance can be expensive, and premiums are based on renters’ credit scores. Insurers like GradGuard offer plans specifically designed for college students.
*Terms and conditions apply
GradGuard can provide financial protection if your items are damaged or lost due to more than just fire or smoke — it can also include loss due to theft and vandalism in most cases. Now that you’ve got some fire safety tips to keep you safe, let GradGuard protect your belongings in case something goes wrong, learn how to enroll here!
