The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-01-02
clRELESSNESS
CAUSE OF FIRES
Public Responsible for Heavy
Fire Loss in State,
SMOKING PROVES COSTLY
Underwriters Issue Bulletin on
Oklahoma Losses,

What Is Causing Oklahoma Fires
IS explained in detailed figures in
bulletin issued by the National BoarC
OF Fire Underwriters The statistics
according to a letter from the genera
manager. arc the results OF a research
inaugurated less than two years agc
with the cooperation and support o,
the National Convention of Insurance
commissioners and the Fire Marshal's
Association Of North America
Smoking Expensive.
Cigaret, cigar and pipe smoking cost
Oklahoma property owners $1,000, ac-
cording to the bulletin.
we are most anxious 10 see the gen
cral public, whose carelessness is re-
sponsible for most OF the fires. reused
from its apathy" is an extract from the
letter
According to the actuarial bureau OF
the underwriters board following an
analysis OF very large percentage Of
the fires in Oklahoma has ascertained
the causes of the fires, for the year
l9lS, with their relative losses. The
various causes is given below:
Strictly Preventable Causes.
Defective chimncys and flues, $l4l, ,3Jl
or o.S percent; fireworks, firecrackers,
etc, S267 or 90 percent; gas, natural
and artificial, SJ,9l3 or IL percent.
hot ashes and Goals, $l9,9J9 or O. 9 per-
cent; ignition of hot grease, oil, tar.
wax, asphalt, etc. 1894 or 90 percent
Hot or molten metal, $246 or 90 per.
cent; matches, S2S298 or l.3 percent
open fires, 81 ,307 or 0.l percent; open
lights, T,b7o or o. percent; petroleum
and its products, $l8,l00 or ) percent
rubbish and litter, $3,442 or W percent;
smoking Cigars, cigare,s, pipes, etc.),
Al,0~ or o percent; steam and hot
water pipes, $lD or 90 percent; stoves.
furnaces, boilers and their pipes ST.
4l6 or J.3 percent
Total, 3A8,9N or l6.l percent.
(Note-ln each of the above cases.
preliminary inspection would have
shown the element of danger, which
then might have been easily remedied.)
Partly Preventable Causes.
Electricity, $9o724 or 4.4 percent
explosions, S2s,933 or IL percent; cx-
posure, $l42,Jl9 or 65 percent; incen
diarism, $l45,l83 or o. percent; light
ing, S8J,590 or 81 percent: misoel
laneous, cause known but not classi-
fled, S28848 or l3 percent; sparksl-
iron fires, $4,000 or 10 percent:
sparks, from machinery, $ll,i26 or %. S
percent, spontaneous combustion, Sol.
S8 or 2S percent.
Total, Sl,2lo,24l or S5.7 percent
(Note--ls is estimated that at least
halt of the loss occasioned by electric
i'y, sparks from fires, and spent aneous
combustion was prcventable, and tha,
all the other causes had some degree
OF preventability)
Unknown causes (probably prevent
able, Sl6,Sll or 81 percent.
Lessons Taught
A comparison with Texas and Kan.
sas, shows the following From Strict.
ly preventable causes" Oklahoma l6.
percent; Kansas u percent and Texas
10 percent From partly preventable
causes" Oklahoma 5s.7 percent; Kan.
sas I.9; Texas $50. Unknown" Ok
|ahoma 28.2 percent, Kansas 4S.l,
percent; Texas asa percent.
These figures teach their own les
sons the bulletin says "The only
way to make Oklahoma really safe is 10 /
secure the intelligent and interested
cooperation Of the public Individual
is the greatest fire ha1.
lrd"