Do you know the common causes of structure fires? Do you know how to use a fire extinguisher? Do you look for the emergency exits when entering a bar?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you might want to stop by West Virginia Universitys Oglebay Hall between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, for a remedial course on fire prevention and safety.

Those attendingUp in Smokewill get to walk down a smoke-filled hallway, learn fire safety techniques and take home several giveaways. One lucky student will even win a free parking space for a year.

The purpose is to educate students and others about the hazards of fire, promote fire safety and at the same time have fun doing it,said Roger Wright, a training specialist with WVU Environmental Health and Safety.

EH&S is sponsoring the event in conjunction with the WVU Fire Service Extension and Morgantown Fire Department.

Fires that have claimed the lives of young people locally and across the nation during the past year underscore the need for increased public awareness on fire safety, Wright said. They include a Feb. 20 blaze that killed 96 patrons at a Rhode Island nightclub and a fire that led to the death of a WVU student last month in his Morgantown mobile home. Investigators blamed the Morgantown fire on a smoldering cigarette, a common, but avoidable cause of fires, Wright said.

Knowing what to do in a fire will be the focus of twoUp in Smokeactivities. Morgantown firefighters will use a smoke simulator to fog up Oglebay Halls first-floor hallway, giving people a chance to experience what it is like to walk through the thick, opaque haze. WVU Fire Service Extension specialists, meanwhile, will teach people how to use fire extinguishers in the lower parking lot outside Oglebay.

There will be several exhibits and instructional videos on fire safety on the buildings ground floor. EH&S staff will also be giving away smoke alarm batteries and T-shirts, and there will be a drawing for a years free parking at the student lot at the College of Law.

EH&S hopes to make this an annual happening, said Kathy Powell, assistant director. The unit has wanted to stage such an event for several years and was able to do so this year through its affiliation with Campus Firewatch, a national organization that focuses on campus fire safety.

We want to make students aware of certain issues such as knowing where the exits are when they go out to clubs,Powell said.Apprising them of things they need to be aware of without impeding on their having a good time may save their lives.