The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-09-19
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 iremen on breaking into "A 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 ii be a store burning
they may learn that the owner was in
financial stralghts. In some cities the
chief mails 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 u
chief must put in 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 i'll the country.
Few Of those required to report fires
in cities and villages can draw ii fee
for it. because fire chiefs and mayors
who have fixed salaries of more than
500 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
SO. or if the cause of the fire is I'M
known, must notify the fire marsha!
forthwith and must begin an inyestga,
ton of the circumstances within two
days The blank furnished To all report.
ers must be filled and forwarded within
a week. \ 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 81, and 10 cents a mile to and
from the place of the fire. Reports of
suspicious circumstances attending Il 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
fire is SO to $500.
indicating the Cause.
"Carelessness" cannot be accepted as
the cause of Il fire for the reason that
the majority of all fires are from the
careleSSneSS OF some one. All fires, eX
Ccpt those started by the burning of an
adjacent building or by an incendary
result from either carclesSneSs or isno-
rance.
adjoining fire" is used to indicate that
the fire was started from the heat OF
sparks from building burning near by.
Ashes against wood" covers all fires
started by putting hot ashes or Goals
into boxes or barrels or against siding OF
fences. If the cause is Il coal dropped
through crack in the stove, it is charged
TO defective stove
burning rubbish" indicates the cauS.
to have been sparks from Il pile of rub.
bish which was being burned To get of it,
while rubbish burning indicates that Il |
spark or blaze by accident lighted rubbish
which had accumulated from neglect.
chimney SCOT burning is the label
for fires from dirty chimney burning
out. This is very common accident.
but it seldom fires Il house that mas a
good roof, and many housewives know
that Il handful of salt on the tire below
it will eXtinguish burning SCOT.
"Dctectlyc tiue' is the most common
fire cause. The word "tluc" iudico-es
the whole avenue of escape from the
ire to the outside air. 1t is the stove
pipe and chimney taken together.
"Ovcrhcatcd stove" is not Satisfac-
tory statement of the cause of fire.
The reporter should say if the floor or
siding or other material was iGntcd by
the heat of the stove. \ sound stove
properly placed and protected cannot
fire a building by being ovcrheated
Failure to properly install and care
for heaters costs Wisconsin people more
than half a million dollars year. If
father would see that the floor and wall
near the kitchen stove were protected.
and have needed repairs made in stoves
and tlurS before the first cold wave OF
winter, and then take fifteen minutes
each month to look them over. the say
iug would not I've far from S3nupo in
the state.
spark" The source Of the spark and
what it i-uitc~ should Toe given. II from
an engine. the kind of ain engine reNpoH-