Some decorations ignite easily and allow a fire to spread rapidly. These include holiday decorations, posters, and flamables tacked to the ceiling. Accumulations of trash and newspaper, especially in hallways and stairwells are a fire hazard. Commons materials like paint, paint removers, hair spray and dupicator fluid can be fire hazards if they are not handled or stored properly. A cigarette, incense or potpouri that falls on an overstuffed chair or mattress can smolder for hours, then suddenly burst into flame.
False alarms are a hazard .
They create a mood of apathy so you may not react quickly enough to save your life if there is a real fire. And if fire trucks are out on a false alarm, they won't be available to fight a real fire. The additional freedom of living away from home also means more responsibility. Through our personal habits, decorating tastes, and room designing, we could put others at risk for a possible fire. In a typical year there are an estimated 7,500 fires at colleges and universities.