Students at the University of Wisconsin in Superior will start their classes next week. Although many students have already arrived on campus.

Before the fall semester begins, however, the Superior Fire Department has an important safety message for all college students. It’s about fire prevention and safety in the residence halls like the shared kitchens or bedrooms.

Fire Inspector Caleb Sorvik with the Superior Fire Department says most fires at the UWS campus can easily be prevented.

“So most important thing is don’t party and then cook. Those are our biggest issues. 80% of the fires that we see in universities are cooking related. Most of those happen after partying, and there’s a myriad of reasons,” Sorvik said. “Either you’re cooking and not paying attention, maybe you smoked and you fell asleep. There’s a whole bunch of different things that happen, but we want people to take a couple of safety precautions.”

While academics might be top of mind, Sorvik says fire safety should also be a concern. There are several safety precautions students can take to prevent fires from starting, and it’s not just at school.

“Never throw water on a grease fire. It’s going to make it way worse. Those you need to smother, put the lid on the pan, and then those will go out,” Sorvik said. “If you have a fire in a microwave, just leave it shut, unplug the microwave. If you have a fire, like your pizza burnt, or something in the oven, just leave the door shut. Turn the heat off.”

For concerned parents, school officials want them to know students living in the residence halls have several helpful resources to turn to in case of a fire emergency.

Harry Anderson, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students says students living on campus can contact their residential advisor for safety tips throughout the semester.

“Residents will notice when they go through the building, there’s lots of information up about emergency procedures, evacuation routes, who to call and when to call,” Anderson said. “We’re fortunate enough that our University Police Department is an immediate responder that can respond almost instantaneously to any situation that arises. With that partnership and pre-planning that we’ve done with the Superior Fire Department, we know that we can provide a safe and effective response as rapidly as possible.”

For more information about fire prevention and safety you can read more here. Also for more information on how to make a fire safety plan for students living off campus you can read more here.