Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-09-20
FIRE CHIEFS, MAYORS
AND TOWNSHIP CLERKS
Must, Under Penalty, Report Fires to the
Fire Marshal
Common Fire Causes.

The success OF the fire marshal de-
ponds largely upon immediate report
! from fire chiefs of every fire in which
there are circumstances which furnish
ground for suspicion that it was started
Intentionally.
The fremen on breaking into Il burn
ing building may get an odor of kero-
sene; or may see that the fire started
IN two places; or may find beds or stairs
oIl-sOaked; or may learn that the own
er stood by making no effort to save
his furniture; or that the insurance on
the house or its contents was more than
Its value; or if it be a store burning
they may learn that the owner was in
financial straights. In some cities the
chief mails q double post card to the
owner of Il burned building in the re-
turn half of which there are blanks for
value, loss and insurance. The facts a
chief must put III the fire marshars
blank are only those he keeps for his
own official record.
Burning to defraud is most common
IN cities; burning from malice or for re-
verge in the country.
Few Of those required to report fires
IN cities and villages can draw Il fee
Tor 1t, because fire chiefs and mayors
who have fixed salaries of more than
SoO year are not given fees
Township Clerks.
The township clerk on hearing of a fire
IN which the loss is said to be more than
20, or II the cause of the fire is I'M
known, must notify the fire marshal
forthwith and must begin an inveStiga
ton OF the circumstances within two
days. The blank furnished to all report
efS must be filled and forwarded within
week. a fee blank will be furnished
which is to be filled in at the end of the
year, when payment will be made. The
fee is s., and IL cents a mile to and
from the place Of the fire. Reports of
suspicious circumstances attending a fire
are Kept absolutely secret by the fire mar
shall, so one does not make an enemy by
giving information
The penalty for failing to report a
fire is $50 to 5000.
Indicating the Cause
"Carelessness" cannot be accepted as
the cause of a fire for the reason that
the majority of all fires are from the
carelessnesS of some one. All fires, ex-
cept those started by the burning of an
adjacent building or by an incendiary,
result from either carelessness or igno-
rance.
Adjoining fire" is used to Indicate that
the fire was started from the heat or
sparks from a building burning near by.
Ashes against wood covers all fires
started by putting hot ashes or Goals
INTO boxes or barrels or against siding or
fences. If the cause is coal dropped
through crack i'll the stove, it is charged
TO defective stove"
Burning rubbish" indicates the cause
to have been sparks from Il pile of rub
biSh which was being burned to get of it,
while rubbish burning indicates that
Ia
which had accumulated from neglect.
Chimney SCOT burning is the label
for fires from dirty chimney burning
out. This is q very common accident.
but it seldom fires Il house that has il
good roof, and many housewives know
that handful of salt on the fire below
1t will eXtinguiSh burning SCOT.
defective tiue' is the most common
fire cause. The word ''fue" indicates
the whole avenue of escape from the
fire to the outside air. 1t is the stove
pipe and chimney taken together.
"Overheated stove" is not satisfac-
tory statement of the cause of fire.
The reporter should say if the floor or
siding or other material was ignited by
the heat of the stove. \ sound stove
properly placed and protected cannot
fire a building by being overheated.
Failure to properly install and care
for heaters costs Wisconsin people more
than half a million dollars Il year If
father would see that the floor and wall
near the kitchen stove were protected,
and have needed repairs made in stoves
and iluCS before the first cold wave Of
winter. and then take fifteen minutes
each month to look them over, the saw
ing would not be far from 100000 il
the state.
Spark" The source of the spark and
what it ignitcS should be given. If from
an engine the kind Of an engine rCSDOu- |