More than $880,000 in losses from fire damage occurred in the year-ended June 30, 2011, according to the Chapel Hill Fire Department annual statistic report.

The Chapel Hill Fire Department  responded to 2,048 fires that year, and the older homes and apartment complexes near campus may be the most fire-hazardous housing and the most popular housing for UNC students.

Older homes

“For an older home it is certainly important that the electrical system and wiring be inspected and updated to current standards,” Mary Blevins, assistant fire marshal at the Chapel Hill Fire Department, said.

“You often have things that have been adapted as time goes by and may not be adapted appropriately,” she said.

Resident forgetfulness may be another fire-starter.

“We have an awful lot of things that plug in and get hot and require heat,” Blevins said. Sometimes people get distracted and leave things on, she said.

Between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011 the Chapel Hill Fire Department received 4,723 calls, an increase by 9.5% from the year before. Blevins said the main cause of fires in Chapel Hill was cooking incidents.

“Hopefully you won’t leave and go to the store with food on the stove, but sometimes people do,” said Blevins.

Apartments

While the Chapel Hill Fire Department attends to more fires in single-family homes than apartments, Blevins said that more people are injured or displaced in apartment complexes because of the close proximity of the dwellings.

The Carrboro Fire-Rescue Department inspects condos, apartments and multi-family dwellings and can catch risks in those homes before a fire occurs. If a fire does happen, a smoke alarm, also called a smoke detector, could save lives by notifying residents of the blaze.

Robert Maddry, fire marshal for Carrboro Fire-Rescue Department, explained that smoke alarm should be located on each level of the house, inside every bedroom and preferably in the hallways of sleeping areas. These should be interconnected so that if one alarm goes off, they all will.

Maddry said residents should replace the batteries in the alarms them twice a year — in the spring and fall.

“Change your clock, change your batteries,” he said.

Smoke alarms have a usable life span of 10 years, Blevins said.

Fire prevention tips

Blevins and Maddry provided several tips that will help prevent fires in a variety of dwellings:

1. Install working smoke alarms throughout your home.
2. Always use a lid if you are cooking with grease or anything flammable.
3. Do not leave anything cooking unattended, set a timer and carry it with you.
4. Do not cook while you are tired or distracted.
5. Do not leave appliances, such as dryers, running while you are out of the house.
6. Make sure cigarette butts are dowsed in water and properly disposed in a non-combustible container.
7. Make sure outdoor fire pits are kept small and far from combustible construction or loose leaves.
8. Use a single power strip instead of multiple extension cords.
9. Have a fire extinguisher easily accessible and know how to use it.

Maddry suggested homeowners get in touch with the local fire department to receive information on fire prevention programs and information on fire safety.

This article was reported for the 253 Reporting class at UNC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.