Fiery Opening for Fire Safety Week 

Fire Safety Week at Westminster kicked off with a fiery opening Oct. 8 as the Fulton Fire Department set a mock dormitory room into flames in the campus parking lot north of the dining hall.  

An estimated 125 members of the campus community witnessed the conflagration.  

Captain Todd Gray of the Fulton Fire Department opened with a short explanation of what was going to occur and a series of fire prevention tips for students living on campus.  

Once the fire was started, the entire room was engulfed in flames within two minutes and destroyed after five, demonstrating to the students how fast tragedy can strike.      

During the demonstration Captain Gray used an infrared camera to keep the crowd informed about how high the room temperature was climbing.  

La Crosse Lumber donated and delivered all the materials for the mock dorm room and Glov Con Construction Company donated the labor to build the structure.  

Other activities throughout the week included a fire extinguisher tutorial and demonstration, best practices for cooking in residence halls, prevention tips to avoid false alarms in residential halls, and fast facts about fire prevention.  

The Residential Life staff and resident assistants planned the week of activities.