The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-16
TOY BALLOONS ARE
VERY DANGEROUS
Chief Bennett Condemns
Practice of Flying Them
HIS MONTHLY REPORT
Fire Loss During July Was 4S,445.5s,
$39,315.05 of Which Was Covered
By Insurance-110 Fires
During Month
HIS MONTHLY REPORT

A fire loss of nearly $5o.0o0o was record
ed during the month of July, according
to the monthly fire report of Fire Chief
A. V. Bennett made public yesterday.
I'm speaking of the report, Chief Ben
nett greatly deplored the fact that toy
balloons were being flown in the city.
He urged strongly that parents prevent
children from sending these balloons in
the air with lighted candle, as a fire
loss of $4,000 was caused during last
month by one of these toys landing on
a shingle roof and igniting the shingles
made combustible by the intense dry
ness.
Il desire to call attention to the danger
of flying toy balloons" said Chief Ben
nett, land also to protest against its
continuance In this community. There are
SO many shingle roofs which almost
crackle with the heat on a summer day
that toy balloon may any day cause
another serious conflagration as we had
on July 4. in Norwood There, three hand
some residences were destroyed by fire
started by toy balloon. Recently have
heard that in the South Highlands resi-
Ntbbldi SOtliOli, the liyilS VI 10Y DdllOOES
at night is a popular fad and I wish to
state that steps will at once be taken to
put a stop to this dangerous practice.
20 Fires Communicated
I'm the report for July, there were 20
cases of fires communicated for adjacent
fires. This is due to the extreme heat
which has prevailed this summer. The
roofs are SO dry that the slightest spark
will start a brisk fire at any moment.
There were also 26 fires from sparks on
the roofs.
THE report for last month is about an
average report for the summer
The report is as follows:
Honorable Culpepper Exum, President
Board of Commissioners, City:
Dear Sir:-Please find herewith my re-
port for the month ending July 81 1913:
The department responded to 110 alarms
and fires, ran 1920 blocks, laid out 80, 100
feet of hose, used 719 gallons of chem
icals, and raised 1471 feet of ladders.
The Bristol recording water pressure
gauge indicates an average daily pres
sure of 80 1881 pounds. and an average
daily variation OF 10 30-31 pound per
square inch.
Alarms and How Received-Box, s; still,
6; telephone, 80; total, ITO.
Kind of Buildings-B Z; frame, rs;
concrete. 2; stucco, 2; other than build
ings, 8; false and unnecessary, Is; total,
ITO.
How Extinguished- arrival, s;
chemicals, AZ; water, As: false and un-
necessary, 15; total, 10.
26 Roof Fires
Cause of Alarnis-Back firing in auto
1nh 4. fntr lxalI F.It
roofs. 2; carelessness, 5; communicated
20; defective fiues, 5; defective WIRE l !;
electric iron, l; false. 8: gasoline care
lessness, 2; gasoline stoves 2; incendiary
/; leaking carbureter. l: leaves burning,
1; lightning 8; lime slaking, /; rekndled.
/; sparks shingle roofs, 26; short cir
cult, l; trash burning. j; unknown, II:
unnecessary. 6: total, no.
Value of buildings t risk 1886 916: value
of contents at risk, 1886, 1856 IS; total value
at risk, 1898, Ill SO.
Insurance involved on buildings, s253.
231 .25; Insurance involved on contents.
$4S4, BIT so; total insurance involved. s737-
AS. TO-
insurance loss on buildings, $27, 1920. 20;
insurance loss on contents, s11, 1874. rs; total
insurance loss, $39,315.05.
Uninsured loss on buildings. S1675. .26; un
insured loss on contents, S7455 .27; total
uninsured loss. $3.50. 3d.
Total loss, insured and uninsured S4s-
4455 Respectfully submitted,
A. V. BENNETT,
Chief of Fire Department