By JAYCIE DOERR, NEWS3 Reporter
MACOMB, Illinois (NEWS3) – Macomb Fire Department has been speaking to students about how to help prevent house fires.
The fire department responded to a house fire in Macomb in late January. Two people died from the fire. The fire started in the kitchen, and while the smoke detectors did go off, they did not wake up the victims, according to Macomb Fire Chief Dan Meyer.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Meyer does believe the fire was an accident. To prevent future accidents like this, Chief Meyer spoke about fire safety on campus.
“The big thing to also remember is when you hear the fire alarms go off, get out, as quickly as you can,” Meyers said. If students are stuck inside a residence hall, students are advised to shelter in place. “And then, you can roll up a towel, put it underneath your door to help keep smoke from coming in.”
He also said that if students are stuck, call 911 or the Office of Campus Safety so the officers know where you are. Give the dispatcher your residence hall name and room number so someone can come.
If a student lives off campus, Meyer encourages everyone to check smoke detectors and make sure the detectors work.
“It’s the landlord’s job to have the smoke detector in there, but it’s your job to make sure they are working,” he said.
If it is your neighbor, Meyer said to go see if anyone is home. Call 911 and a Wellness Check can be conducted to check on everyone.
For updates and more safety tips, follow the Macomb Fire Department on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Macombfire/.
