It is not every day that a fire is lit outside of the Peter MacKinnon Building at the University of Saskatchewan, but that is exactly what happened on Sept. 3 during the U of S Students’ Union Welcome Week.

The unique display was part of a dorm room fire simulation meant to teach students the importance of fire safety. Two mock dorm rooms were constructed in the middle of the plaza. A controlled burn took place, ignited by common items found within the home. Students watched as the blaze engulfed a space much like the ones that they actually live in.

A collaboration between the U of S and the Saskatoon Fire Department, the dorm room burn was created to teach students valuable lessons about fire safety. Quintin Zook, director of consumer services at the U of S, explained exactly why the burn took place.

“The purpose of the demonstration is to provide an opportunity to show students how quickly a fire does spread and the importance of safety when dealing with any heat source or combustibles. The other purpose is to demonstrate how little time you have to react once you do hear the fire alarm before the dorm would be engulfed by flames,” Zook said.

Over 2,200 students live in U of S residences during the school year. For many, this is their first time living away from home. Living on your own can offer many lessons, including those about safety. However, fire safety is not always at the forefront of students’ minds. Between classes, homework and socialization, other topics take precedence. Since fires are an uncommon occurrence in residence buildings, concern may be low.

While Zook acknowledges that dorm room fires are rare, this makes learning proper safety procedures all the more necessary.

 “It is important for all students to understand how quickly a fire can spread, how common items can cause a fire if not monitored and the risk to a student is great in the event of a fire,” Zook said.

Unattended cooking is the most common cause of dormitory fires. To help prevent this and other fire hazards, U of S residences have taken several measures to ensure that students are informed.

“People that live in the university residence building are provided a residence handbook which lists many items which are banned from rooms because of their high risk, such as hot plates, candles and smoking,” Zook said. “Communicating these risks to the residents is the method, as well as our staff being aware if they notice any of these risks in our buildings.”

Regular fire drills are also conducted so that students are aware of proper safety procedures in case of an emergency.

“Proper procedure if they hear a fire alarm would be to vacate the building and go to the designated meeting point outside the building,” Zook said.

While the U of S does provide other information about fire safety, the dorm room burn offers a new and engaging way to learn about the issue. Seeing the risk first hand makes the consequences of dorm fires all the more real.

The demonstration was a controlled burn but the consequences were definitely realistic. It only takes a matter of seconds for a fire to spread and become dangerous. With this idea in mind, Zook offered other ways that students can stay safe in their dorm rooms.

“Students should not use prohibited items in rooms that present a higher risk. They should ensure that when cooking they are paying attention to their cooking and always be aware of potential risks and if maintenance is required to notify someone so repairs can be done,” Zook said.

With a lot of information and a little preparation, it is easy for students to prevent fires from occurring. By being aware of proper risks and procedures, they are not only lowering the risk of fires but they may even be saving a life.

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Photos: Kayle Neis