The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-11-08
CAUSES OF FIRES
HOW TO PREVENT AND TREAT
THEM WHEN THEY OCCUR.

=
THEM WHEN THEY OCCUR.
A Very Useful List Of Fire Don'ts
Compiled BY q Fire Chief for all
Emergencies.
With the arrival of cold weather
comes the constant and ever increas-
Ing menace of fires, and some sug-
gestions along the line OF what to do
in case of conflagration, are apt
Just at this time:
Tt would be good thing If every
householder in the city were to fam
iliarize himself with each and every
one of the following "don'ts:"
Don't get excited when you dis
cover a fre-act coolly and quickly.
Don't be without means to ex-
tinguish small fires. at any time.
Don't delay sending In an alarm
when you discover a fire.
Don't hesitate ia send in an alarm
of fire or telephone to the nearest
fire station IL you cannot find the
:cause of unusual smoke in your
building, or immediate ne1ghbor-
! uood. :. = %'s2
Don't neglect to ascertain the
cause of unusual smoke, or smell OF
smoke. II 1t indicates fire tele'
phone to the nearest fire station.
Don't go to bed and leave kero-
sene lamp burning in the house.
Don't neglect to watch gas and oil
stove when in use.
Don't leave oily rags lying about
the premises.
Don't allow fues Of chimneys to
become defective. Haze them clean'
en-at least. twice each year.
Don't keep matches where rats
and mice can get at them. Above all
don't let baby play with matches.
Don't place ashes in wooden re-
ceptacles.
Don't invite fires by neglecting to
guard against and be prepared ror
! them.
Defective ilues are one great cause
of fires, and care should, therefore
be taken that each and every chin
ney in the house gets a thorough
cleaning before the cold weather sets
In for good. All necessary repairs
should be made now. .3
It should not. be inferred, how
ever, that faulty chimneys are tue
only causes of useless fires; others
might be mentioned, such as kind
ling a fire with the help Of kero.
sene, or worse yet, with, gasoline,
and the careless disposition OF
matches and lamps. A fire chief
who has had occasion to study the
errors which are committed by the
average person when handling kero'
sene and gasoline, and as a result
says that the following facts and
precautions should be borne in mind
by the users of the explosives:
First, that a combustible vapor Il
constantly rising from the exposed
surface Of lot Of gasoline.
Seconc, that this yapor will dlf,
fuse and spread in all directions fol
| 4 considerable distance from it,
source.
Third, that a fame, glowing fire
or even a tiny spark, will cause The
yapor to ignite and flash back to thu
gasoline proper.
! Fourth, that only q small portion
Of this vapor is needed In mixture
with air to produce an explosion
Vaults, ,ll-ventilated rooms and
| places in which the vapor Of gaso.
line is present are as dangerous as
...- Is present are as dangerous rs
the proverbial powder magazine, ana
a match or lighted candle is there
fore liable to bring about the same
results If brought into such a place
Fifth, that burning gasoline s
best extinguished by the smotherlne
process, which, If correctly applied
will cut off all supply Of oxygen and
thus stifie the blaze.
The following precautions might
also be observed ". = great advan-
tage by householders when naudline
kerosene lamps:
Do not GLOW out lamp while tho
flame Is turned no high. Doing 81,
! may force the flame down into ;hS
lamp bowl, and cause an explosion
or at the very least may cause til.
chimney to crack. The proper ME-
thod is to turn down the wick until
the blaze Is half it's usual size, and
then to blow across the chimney
top, not into it. If the wick is toe
small TO fill the neck Of the lamp
bowl, the flames are very apt tc
flash down and ignite the vapor aris'
ing from the kerosene with which
the vessel Is filled, and thus cause au
explosion.
When lamp, which has been In
use needs refilling, do not take OH
the burner near another light or a
fire. Many children are badly burn
ed, and even burnt 10 death, by the