As thousands of students return to college campuses this fall, many are preoccupied with what to wear, how to accessorize their dorm rooms and whether their new roommate will have a mini fridge or TV to share.

While there’s no need to sweat the small stuff, packing for college does require careful planning for essential household items to help keep students safe and secure while away from home.

In fact, one of the most serious threats to student safety is alarmingly on the rise. The National Fire Protection Agency reports that while the overall number of structure fires has decreased by 52 percent since 1980, the number of campus housing fires has increased to more than 3,300 annually.

Here are a few planning tips from home safety company First Alert to consider when preparing your college packing list:

Making the trip safely

• Before packing, make sure there are the right number and size of boxes or other packing systems for transporting items. Use smaller boxes for heavier items so they are easier to lift. Pack large boxes to capacity so items don’t shift during transport.

• Use bubble wrap or other protective material for delicate belongings such as mirrors, dishware or knick-knacks. Carefully wrap sharp edges. Mark these items as “fragile.”

• Never pack bedding or clothes in plastic bags. Items may absorb moisture, tear or otherwise incur damage.

• When transporting items on a trailer or in a truck bed, carefully secure them with restraints or a tie-down.

Fire prevention and safety

• Make sure that every student’s room has a working smoke alarm. If living in off-campus housing, make sure to install smoke alarms on every level of the residence and in every bedroom or sleeping area.

• Test smoke alarms at least once a week and replace batteries every six months.

• Never disable smoke alarms or remove batteries even temporarily; forgetting to replace them is a common cause of fire deaths and injuries.

• Keep a fire extinguisher or fire extinguishing spray in your dorm room or off-campus apartment near your microwave or cooking areas.

• Know where all exits and fire escapes are located for both on-campus and off-campus housing. Create and practice an escape plan at least twice a year.

Poison prevention

Carbon monoxide, an invisible, odorless gas, can also threaten your health and can cause serious injury or death before you even know that it’s there. Here are a few precautions students living in off-campus housing can take to protect themselves:

• Have all fuel-burning appliances carefully checked for to ensure they are working properly, including your furnace, oven or stove.

• Check to make sure that appliances, flues and chimneys are in good working order and are properly ventilated.

• Install a minimum of one CO alarm outside each sleeping area, and for maximum protection, install at least one CO alarm per level.

• Inspect the pilot lights on natural gas appliances to ensure that they are not mostly yellow in color, which indicates that the fuel is not burning efficiently.

To learn more about potential home safety hazards, visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.