Western is joining colleges across the nation this month to help students learn about fire prevention at college.

Local fire safety officials will host events on campus throughout September, the month dubbed Campus Fire Safety Month.

Universities have participated in Campus Fire Safety Month annually since 2005, according to Campus Firewatch, a publication about campus fire safety.

Parents who lost children to fires at universities sent a petition to each of the 50 governors asking them to proclaim September Campus Fire Safety Month.

Now, more than 30 states observe the event, according to the publication.

Since 2000, about 135 people  nationally have died in fires on or near campus. Eighty-four percent of those deaths occurred in off-campus housing, about 8 percent of them occurred in dorm fires and another 8 percent happened in Greek housing, according to Campus Firewatch. Three of those deaths have been in Kentucky.

One of those deaths was the 2003 death of Pellville freshman Melissa “Katie” Autry after being raped, sodomized and burned in her Poland Hall dorm room.

The last severe fire on campus happened in April 2006 when the lower floors of Cherry Hall were damaged. That fire was ruled arson, Western Fire Marshal Bob Austin said.

The majority of dorm fires at Western are kitchen fires, he said.

All Housing and Residence Life employees, including resident assistants, have been trained in fire safety and all dorms on campus have sprinkler systems and smoke detectors, Austin said.

“We’ve done an excellent job here at Western,” he said.

Ricki Gardenhire, information officer for Kentucky’s Public Protection Cabinet, said the state wants college students to become more aware of their surroundings and to learn how to prevent fires and where exits are located.

When Michael Minger died in an arson fire at his Murray State University dorm room on Sept. 18, 1998, his mother, Gail Minger, became Kentucky’s Campus Safety Task Force Chairperson.

Kentucky became more involved in the campus fire safety initiative because of Gail Minger, Gardenhire said.

The Michael Minger Act became a Kentucky state law in July 2000.

The act gives the state fire marshal the right to investigate as needed to prevent fires or to determine the origin of a fire on a college campus.

Campus-related fires often occur when students are inattentive. They often happen after parties or other events, said Ed Comeau, publisher of Campus Firewatch and advocate for fire safety in Washington, D.C.

“Part of it is that the last fire safety message they had was ‘Stop, drop and roll,’ and that was in elementary school,” Comeau said.

Check out the fire safety events at Western this month:

Western’s Environmental Health and Safety Department will host events on Sept. 10 in the Pearce-Ford lot, on Sept. 16 in the Barnes lot and on Sept. 24 on Centennial Mall near the Downing University Center.

The Bowling Green Fire Department will be in those locations with fire trucks hosting hands-on fire extinguisher training sessions and question and answer sessions, Austin said.

There will be a training trailer with non-toxic smoke on the last day. Those who complete the activities can get a free T-shirt.

• Check smoke detector batteries monthly.
• Don’t plug power strips into power strips.
• If living off campus, choose housing with a sprinkler system.
• Make sure each floor of your residence has a fire extinguisher.
• Don’t leave the kitchen stove on and unattended.

Source: Bob Austin, Western Fire Marshal with the Environmental Health and Safety Department.