Students who want to burn candles in their residence hall rooms should think twice.

NIU has a policy prohibiting the use of candles due to the possibility of fires in the halls. Students caught burning candles could incur a fine and possible judicial sanction.

The NIU Judicial Office has not seen many students in its office for the offense of candle-burning.

“We do not have specific sanctions for specific violations except for the use of drugs,” said Terry Jones, associate director of the Judicial Office.

If it is a first-time offense, students at a minimum would receive a fine and/or probation for a semester to a year, Jones said.

Since 2000, there have been fewer than 20 reported incidences of candle-burning in the residence halls.

“Of the very few fires we have had in the residence halls, too many have come from unattended candles,” said Willard Draper, director of Residential Life. “There aren’t a lot of things that come to our attention of this sort, but those that are are quickly acted upon.”

Even with the small number of reports, NIU officials still take this seriously.

Minor infractions such as candle-burning could be a major security risk for the students living in the residence halls, Jones said.

Students who want to know more can read the fire prevention section of their guidepost, to take the proper precautions if there is a fire.

The candle-burning ordinance has saved facilities millions of dollars and also has saved hundreds of lives, Draper said. He said he hopes students will continue to follow the candle-burning policy.

Cases of burning

candles in residence halls

Fall: Spring:

2001 – 4 2001 – 1

2002 – 6 2002 – 1

2003 – 3 2003 – 4

2004 – 1