The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-01
COLD SNAP FIRES
 ENTAIL LOSS OF
 ABOUT S75,OO0
Fire Chief Makes Suggestions Of Precautions to Be Taken. Shmgle Roofs Considered
 Main Danger Source

The season of fires arrived yesterday 1 With the first cool snap and the stiff breeze which blew all day, flaming the Flames of little fires into destructive blazes caused thousands of dollars worth of damage within the city limits. 1 Up to o'clock yesterday afternoon the city fire department had received
 forty-six calls. Most serious among them was a fire at Powderly, entaifing loss of approximately S75,000 worth of property. N
 The county school house. "Old Coun- " Home, Caraway Grocery Company, c. J. Hilton Grocery Company, Frank lin Grocery Company and Sunnysfde Grocery Company were destroyed and only partially covered by insurance USE CHURCH Dr. N. R. Barker, county superin tend ent of schools, has arranged to use two churches and a residence in the neigh borhood and the school session will go on according to schedule The foundation for the new S1S9OOO school building in PowderIy is being laid, and work will be completed as quickly as possible. The old building. was fully covered by insurance. The homes of T. H. Smith, Mrs. A. B. Mcclellan, s. E. Collier and ". B. Thompson were burned. l The Birmingham fire department had i so many calls within the city limits Iduring the morning that they were forced to refuse the Powderly call Several negro houses, the property valued at>$6,500, were burned in Avon dale, and the manse of the Second Pres byterian Church, occupied by Rev. J. D. Meacham suffered damages from a blaze on the roof.
 .sover 70 per cent of the fires which occur Tn Birmingham are caused by sparks flying on the shingIe roofs," snfd Chief S. A. Mid dleton of the fire department. eff people would always think before they burn paper in grate stove and then not burn it. the number of fires would be cut in half, and if everybody had roof made of nom cOmbustible material I venture to say there would be about One- fourth as many fires there are now. I would suggest that every time paper is burned in the grate the guilty party go out and look up at the roof for fifteen minutes" The fire department condemned about 2,0o0 roofs this year, but even when roofs are sound burning trash on a windy day is very unsafe.
 CHIEFS SUGGESTIONS
 Chief Middleton made the following suggestions,s~
 Every person who has furnace should have'it carefully inspected be- fore building the first fire of the sea son in it.
 Stove flues are apt to rust in sum mer. They should De inspected"
 "In windy weather no light trash of any description should be burned in an open grate or a cooking stove.
 People should not let the first cold snap catch them unprepared.
 "The heating facilities should be thoroughly inspected and cleaned out.
 Above everything, the chimney's should be swept and cleaned out late in the summer of every year.
 ePutting hot ashes in a wooden re- ceptable is very dangerous practice and should be avoided.
 "In turning in fire alarm people should notify the department of the size and seriousness of the fire.
 'If the alarm is turned in for burn
 ing automobile the department should be notified. The last two suggestions are given in order that only as many wagons as are necessary need go to any one fire"