Evening star., 1920-01-05
APARTMENT FIRES
BRING INSPECTION
Firemen to Make Regular
Visits in War on Rubbish
in Cellars.

Chief Wagner today directed that five
members of the fire department be de-
tailed to make inspections of apartment
houses in an effort to guard against a
repetition of the fires that have oc-
CURED in such buildings the last few
days
Each of the five battalion chiefs was
directed to detail one man for such
work. the understanding being that if
each apartment house cannot be given
a weekly inspection the force will b.
increased.
In making this detail the chief in
structed his assistants that there must
be no interference with the regular in
spections made by the fire marshal and
his assistants. It Is Chief Wagner s
lation against he accumulation of in
1ammable materials in apartment
houses and other buildings
Because of the numerous fires that
have occurred in which waste material
at the bottom of dumb-waiter shafts
or waste paper chutes ignited and
spread the fires, it Is stated, Chief
Wagner may ask for additional inspec-
tors
Force II Too Small.
The department is doing all it can
with the force at it's command" said
Chief Wagner this morning, but the
force is not large enough"
Under the provisions of the police
regulations officials of the fire depart-
ment are authorized to make inspec-
tions of premises and require the
clearing away of inf1ammable mate
rial, the regulation, in part, reading
as follows: THE fire marshal, the
chief engineer and the assistant chief
engineers of the fire department are,
and each of them is authorized and
empowered whenever the public safe
ty requires the same, to enter into
and upon all buildings and premises,
at all reasonable hours, for the pur-
pose Of examination; and whenever
any of the said officers shall find in
any building or upon any premises
combustible and inflammable mate
rial or other conditions in his or their
judgment dangerous to the safety of
to obstruct or interfere with the NOM
bers of the Are department in the
event OF fire therein. he or they
shall order the same to be removed
or remedied. and such order shall be
forthwith complied with by the own
er or occupant of said building or
premisea"
Right of appeal from such order to
the Commissioners is provided. and the
law states: That any occupant of any
building or premies failing to comply
with the orders of the fire mar rshal, the
chief engineer or the assistant chief
engineers of the IRE department, made
in compliance with and upon the au-
thority of the provisions of this sec
ton shall, upon conviction thereof, be
punished by a fine not less than ten
dollars nor more than forty dollars,
and any owner of occupant of any
building or premises who shall will
fully ohstruct or interfere with any of
said last aforementioned officers in
the performance of their above speci-
fed duties shall, upon conviction there
of. be punished by fine Of not less
than ons nor more than forty dollars"
IF janitors would keep the shafts
clear of waste material" said Chief
Wagner, there would be fewer fires."
Chief Wagner also spoke Of thefts
committed in burning houses. He said
it is almost impossible for members Of
the fire department to keep civilians
from burning structures, but protec-
ton OF property against theft is a
matter for tho police and not the fire
department