To kick off National Fire Prevention Month, SUNY Oswego hosted the Oswego Fire Department for what has become an annual event on campus. 

Two mock-dorm rooms made out of plywood were set up on the lawn in front of MCC and filled with furniture and personal items typically found in students’ rooms. The materials like rugs, clothing, stuffed animals, food packages and blankets were sourced from things students left behind in their rooms at the end of previous years. 

During each of the two demonstrations, one of the rooms was set ablaze. Students gathered nearby watched as the fire spread and swiftly engulfed the entire structure. At this point the fire fighters nearby, well equipped to manage the intentional fire, hosed down the room and put out the flames. Hours after the demonstrations however, the structures continued to steam, showing just how much damage a few minutes of fire can do to a bedroom. 

One difference between the two nearly identical rooms was that one did not have a doorway cut into one of its walls. This was meant to show how keeping doors shut during fires can prevent additional damage, or at least slow the fire’s spread. 

As a safety precaution the grass in front of each structure was doused in water before the fires were set, and students were urged to stand behind a yellow tape during the demonstrations. Still, from a distance the heat of the blaze could be felt. According to Ken Ayhens, the SUNY Oswego fire marshalls, the fire reached a temperature of 800 degrees fahrenheit around eye-level. He reminded students that in the event of a fire, they should crouch low to the ground and under the smoke. Smoke is what will most harm people, stated Ayhens. The heat and flames will destroy whatever is left. 

“Smoke detectors save your lives, sprinklers save property,” Ayhens said. 

This tradition of live demonstrations was started in October of 2024. Lieutenant Kenneth Dolan from the Oswego Fire Department spoke of how this practice was unique to Oswego, but has recently started to take hold on other campuses including SUNY Cortland and Buffalo University. Dolan spoke of how this tradition is valuable because it allows students to be able to see what happens during a dorm fire, in a safe environment where no actual harm happens. 

“One of the reasons I enjoy doing this is because it does show our student population and also our staff what actually happens during a fire,” Ayhens said. “Even though this is a small mock-burn, the importance of it is if that happens in one of our rooms, we could take out either half of a hall, or half of the whole building. And that would probably put a lot of people out of their normal room area for probably four to five-six weeks. So just one little fire can have a big effect on a lot of people. The biggest reason I do what I do and I’m here is so people understand and they don’t have a fire and they don’t get hurt.”

While this event was organized with the serious goal of making students and faculty aware of the immense danger that can result from a lack of fire safety, it achieved this goal in an effective yet entertaining way. The fire marshall strolled in front of the structures and jokingly asked if anyone had brought the marshmallows.

Curious students gathered in the center of campus to see what the fuss was about, as it was finally time to explain the sudden appearance of the wooden structures a few weeks prior. The growing anticipation as the time of the mock-burns grew nearer could be felt in the crowd. Passerbys chatted amongst themselves, eating snacks and watching eagerly with their cameras ready. Representatives from the Student Association Volunteer Ambulance Corps. were in attendance as well. 

“We constantly want to bring fire safety to the population so it keeps it in the back of your mind,” Ayhens said. 

If one thing could be learned from this experience, it is that all fire-related safety measures on campus should be taken seriously. 

 “The biggest thing I would say is if you hear a fire alarm going off, you need to exit the building, as annoying as it can be sometimes,” Dolan said.