Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-09-20
FIRE CHIEFS, MAYORS
AND TOWNSHIP CLERKS
Must, Under Penalty, Report Fires to the
Fire Marshal.
Common Fire Causes.

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
oilsoaked 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 store burning
they may learn that the owner was i'll
financial straights. In some cities the
chief mails double post card to the
owner OF burned building in the re-
turn half of which there are blanks for
value, loss and insurance. The facts
chief must put in the fire marshal
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 fec
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 fire
in which the loss is said to be more than
$50, or if 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
| no loI IoI in
| a 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 10 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 q
fire is $50 to 5000.
dicating 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 a coal dropped
through crack in the stove, it is charged
to reflective stove"
Burning rubbish" indicates the cause
| to have been sparks from pile OF rub
bish which was being burned to get of it,
| while rubbish burning indicates that Il
! INV lirl toI r,1b Ch
which had accumulated from neglect.
| Chimney SCOT burning is the label
! for fires from a dirty chimney burning
! out. This is very common accident,
| but it seldom fires a house that has a
good roof, and many housewives know
that a handful of salt ON the fire below
| it will extinguish burning SCOT.
''Defectiye hue' 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 a fire.
The reporter should say if the floor or
/ siding or other material was ignited by
| the heat of the stove. A sound stove
properly placed and protected cannot
| fire building by being overheated.
Failure to properly install and care
for heaters costs Wisconsin people more
|
| father would see that the floor and wall
near the kitchen stove were protected,
and have needed repairs made in stoves
| and t1ues 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 $5OO,OOO in
| the state.
Spark" The source of the spark and
what it ignites should be given. If from
an engine, the kind of an engine respon-
| sible for it should be mentioned. want
to know just how much sparks from To-
comotives, stationary and traction en-
gines, especially traction engines, burn
up in a year.
Lightning" being the cause, give an
swers to the following questions: Did
the building have a lightning rod on it?
If it was rodded, how long had the rod
been up? Was it in good repair? How
was it grounded? Did it have two ends
| in the ground?
Because of the enormous losses on
| farm barns from lightning, l want to
learn if any of the lightning rods now
in use in Wisconsin fail to give protec-
| ton. -
THOMAS NJ. PURTELL,
State Fire Marshal.
|