Unattended candle sets fire to dorm
Dorm residents breaking the rules were all it took to start a fire in a University of Massachusetts residence hall. Fortunately, the building did not burn down, but the incident stands as a cautionary tale for California college students wondering whether to invest in renters insurance.
Despite college officials' repeated warnings to students that candles are forbidden in the residence halls, it was an unattended candle in a student's room that ignited a window shade in a four-story dorm building on campus, according to an article in The Republican. Making the situation worse was the fact that the smoke detector in the room was covered with a hat. Firefighters found candles burning and hats hung over smoke detectors in other rooms in the 300-resident dormitory as well, according to The Republican.
Fortunately, the dorm was outfitted with a sprinkler system that put out the flames before they could spread too far. That means that little, if any, personal property was burned. At the same time, however, it means that many residents' personal property was soaked. Laptops, televisions, iPods, iPads, DVD players, and other electronics can easily be rendered inoperable with even the smallest amount of water, as, unfortunately, many of us know from experience. Expensive textbooks and important documents can also be irreparably damaged from a fire sprinkler drenching.
At the time of The Republican's article, university officials could not offer an estimate on the amount of damage caused by the dorm candle fire incident, but common sense tells us that at least a few students lost some valuable property. The Republican did report that after the evacuation ended, 30 students had to be housed at a hotel because their rooms were "not yet fit for re-entry."
Stories like this are why Purves Insurance agents counsel college students and their parents to invest in the protection afforded by California college renters insurance. We all know that it's not everyday that a dorm building burns down to a pile of ash. But any college student can tell you that dorm residents break the rules every day -- lighting candles, disabling their smoke detectors, using halogen bulbs that are likely to overheat, and smoking in their rooms. Even if your dorm isn't completely destroyed, property damage as a result of smoke or fire sprinklers is well within the realm of possibility. Students without renters insurance will be working extra hours or begging their parents for the money to replace their damaged electronics, textbooks and documents. Students with renters insurance, however, will be able to file a claim and have their insurance carrier cover the cost of replacement. What sounds like a better deal to you?
(Photo credit: markhillary on Flickr, used here with permission according to a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license)
