The Washington times., 1921-10-10
CHIEF WATSON
WARNS AGAINST
AUTUMN FIRES
Points Out Dangers In Starting
Furnaces, Crates. and
Oil Heaters.

Fire Department. has Issued an
appeal TO the people OF the city to
guard against fires. which are pore
frequent at this time Of the year
than any other.
In a statement he said;
AT this season OF the year, when.
for the first time In many months'
you start your furnace and stove
fires, open CRATES. gas and oil heat.
ers. you should be especially carefui
and dlligent to see that everything
in connection with the heating APP
paratus in your homes is properly
set and ready to properly ana safely
perform the functions for which the
devices are used. . =.
Whether your furnace Ia located
| In your cellar or basement, all trash
rubbish. waste paper and other In.
| flamable material should be removed
| from your cellars and Easements ana
care should be exercised through the
entire year In preventing an accumu-
lation OF trash, rubbish old papers
ctc., In cellars and In and sSout your
premises. Many disastrous fires or
iginste by csrslessness and oversight
| on the part OF ,housekepers and espe-
cialy on the part OF business con
|
are, kept where furnaces or other
heating apparatus are installed.
"See that all SCOT is removed from
your furnace and stove pipes, that
the SCOT Is removed from chimneys,
| that pipes are in good condition; that
all woodwork contiguous TO the neat
| ing apparatus Is covered with TIN,
galvanized iron or asbestos.
Look Out For SCOT.
watch the draughts. See that
the heating apparatus does not De-
come overheated.
Use only safety matches In your
house.
I'm putting away summer clothing
| for the season see that you take
from the pockets all matches. re
move even the safety matches. Let
your slogan be Safety First. Keep
matches, even the safety variety. IN
a stone crock or a receptacle OF TN
or other fire proof material. Place
matches where the children cannot
find or reach them.
After lighting fire or gas jet, II
| stove or furnace Is convenient, throw
used match in the fire; never throw
II on the floor or elsewhere. TAKE
sufficient time to be sure the match
is not burning.
Cigar and cigarette smokers Goth
man and women of the last Variety
are too careless with their cigar and
cigarette butts. II smoking In the
house be sure to have an ash receiver
handy, into which you should place
our cigar and cigarette butts, whether
! they are still lighted or not. You never
can tell when q dead cigar or cigar
ette butt will come to, life and burn
up something you don't particularly
want burned.
See that your cook does not use
kerosene or gasoline or other get-the-
| fire.quick material in lighting your
fires. Starting fires with coal oil, ETC.,
! is one OF the speedy methods for max
| ing angels and also a splendid method
of reducing a part add sometimes all
| of your worldly possessions TO ashes.
when you get whiff of escaping
gas don't look for IL with a lighted
match You cannot see 1t with light
but you may feel It. At all events its
pretty certain your name Will grace
| the front page OF the newspapers, but
you will have gone hence, pe9r z
return. -
I'VE may go on and on with don'ts,
fand we could caution you byS citing
cases where just little thought or
! just a jot of care might have pre-
! vented tne loss Oh many lives anu the
saving of many dollars in property,
but IL you, dear people, neighbors and
friends, will be just little mite care
full when using fire about yolr homes
and places of business. we feel sure
that the loss of life and prcrerty in
the District of Columbia will be very
materially reduced in the week be-
ginning October 10. Next Monday is
the time to resolve TO be careful. IL
you have been careful be more care
full in the future, put your resolution
into effect. Clean up your cellars and
| garrets; remove from your premises
inside and out everything and any
thing which might in any way con-
tribute to helping a cigar or cigarette
stump or lighted match to start fire.
I Do this and all of this in the name of
safety first and instruct your children
and those under you to knoN that