Newberry, SC (WLTX) - Flames ripped through two buildings on Newberry College's campus Wednesday - but firefighters were already standing by. It was all for a safety demonstration.
Set up by the Newberry Fire Department and the South Carolina Fire and Life Safety Education Association (SC FALSE), it showed students about fire safety.
"When we light the first room on fire, it's going to take about two and a half to three minutes to go from a wastebasket fire that could happen in anybody's home or anybody's dorm room to full flash over, where it's a totally untenable situation," says SC FALSE President Les Woods.
It's a sight you normally don't see unless something's gone horribly wrong. Says student Stephanie Matthews of the fire, "It moved a lot quicker than I thought it did, so that's the main thing that was going through my head."
Fire safety, especially in a college dorm, doesn't always get much thought. "People get so used to hearing the fire alarm, they ignore the fire alarm. And they tend to stay in their dorms and not practice getting out of the building," says Fire Chief Keith Minick.
But by the time the smoke cleared, that may have changed for some students. "It's a lot more dangerous than what you actually think it is," Matthews says, "You need to get out as fast as you can, also, cause breathing that - I know I was coughing and I wasn't even close to it, really."
Especially seeing how different things can be with a sprinkler system. "You're going to see that that sprinkler in the second room is going to put that fire out in probably 13 seconds," Woods said before the flames were extinguished.
The ultimate goal achieved for these firefighters: a sobering sight, forcing thought about what can happen. "The fire trucks are going to be here in four to eight minutes. If the room is flashed over in three minutes, and you didn't get out, you're dead," Woods says.
And why it's so important to be aware. "We see electrical cords that are overloaded. We see things that are not safe, space heaters too close to objects inside those rooms," says Minick, "You have to be prepared with your smoke alarms, you have to be prepared with your escape plan, you have to practice it."
The Newberry Fire Department does have a grant to give out two thousand smoke detectors to those who can't afford them. To qualify, you have to be elderly, have kids under age eight or be disabled.
You can find out more about the program by giving them a call at 803- 321-1030.
You Might Be Interested In