Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-05
Many Confagrations
Are Narrowly
Ayerted
Explosives Are Used in
Most Reckless
Manner
Scores of Alarms Give Fire Depart
ment Busiest Day They Have
Ever Had in the History
of the City

TWO 'c~e fire alarms was the recor1
yesterday, the largest number of
alarms in one day in the history
the Los Angeles fire department. Some
years the list has been as low as four
alarms. Twenty alarms is considered
very busy day.
Carelessness in the use of pyrotech-
mics not only started blazes in all parts
of the city, but exhausted the fire horses
and the men. Had a conflagration oc-
CURED late the department would nave
been at a great disadvantage.
Chief Lips said at midnight last night
that the Fourth of July, 1907, Vas the
most strenuous in his experience. He
was thanful for one thing-that fire.
works had been forbidden in the busi-
ness section. Otherwise the story might
have been different { sadder one.
Most of the blazes were in oil sump
holes and in vacant lots. Here and
there an oil derrick was ignited by a
skyrocket.
None of the companies was dispatched
to these unless nearby buildings were
in danger.
The advice fror headquarters as
given over the telephone was to use
garden hose and to soak sacks in tubs
of water and throw the wet sacks
around the edge of the threatened lots.
This with shoveling of sand or back
firing usually put out grass fires and
kept the department in readiness for
bigger jobs.
Chief Lips Advises Reform
Something out to be dore to limit
the discharge of fireworks to a certain
district or districts where property
would be protected" said Chief Walter
Lips last night.
1--WE have long runs for our COM
panies, and If fireworks must be used
they should be discharged within a zone
near each engine house.
To-day we had a company stationed
in the street at Woodlawn avenue and
Fortieth street because the nearest
fire house is over a mile away. There
are some fine homes in the Main street
and Moneta avenue district that are
without protection.
I'VE tried to save our men and teams
as much as possible because we had to.
"Our people, am glad to say, are be-
ginning to learn that it is folly to ring
in an alarm for a grass fire. The teie-
phone should be used as a fire alarm
brings several companies, which is an
unnecessary cost.
our DOdy QlQ nODly today In pre-
venting any serious spread of flames.
These fires, however, make the people
realize how badly we need more houses
and companies.
Hollywood sent us urgent calls to-
night, but as 1t was only one dwelling
af1re we could not spare a company to
go beyond the city limits We were
sorry we could not be neighborly but
our own interest was at stake"
Valuable Horse Burned
Fire supposed to have been caused
by boys shooting fireworks on the dry
grass in the vicinity DESTROYED the
barn owned by A. A. Sturges, the well
known attorney, at 713 Chicago avenue
yesterday afternoon, burning to death
valuable horse owned by Mr. Sturges
and damaging the residence of the at
torney
The fire was first seen by neighbors
who noticed the flames leapinE from
the barn door. An alarm was turned
in, but owing to an accident to one of
the horses of engine No. the an
paratus was late in arriving, and hv
the time the f1remen reached the scaps
the barn had been burned to the
ground and the horse ,suffocated
The house was burning by this tin,e
and it was only after fifteen minutes of
hard work the firemen We're able r.
save 1t from destruction.
The horse which was burned was
valued at $1,000, while the barn was
valued at $780, There was no inslr
ance carried on either The house was
damaged to the extent Of $780, This
we "a cnverad nv Insurance