Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-12-03
HINTS FOR THE
PREVENTION Of
FIRE OFFERED.
Proper PreCaution Will
Either Eliminate Cause Of
Fires or Permit Control at
Early Stage
BY TIE TIRENIAN

DJ LhiI IllAls-L4A+N
1t is npw a we'll established fact
that the majority of big fires occur
during the night hours. This is due
to the fact that during these hours
they often gain considerable head
way before being detected. During
the day people are about and, ex-
cepting in cases of explosions, fires
are usually detected before they
nave gone far. At the same time
there is some one at hand to com
pat the flames as soon as they are
detected.
Since serious fires do occur with
the greatest frequency at night ii
is incumbent upon tie business
man particularly to safeguard his
property through the exercise of
the approved precautions. He
should never permit his place of
business to be closed for the night
without either making a round OF
inspection or having such inspec-
ton made by trustworthy cn-
ployee. Such inspection should take
the whole premises. 1t will re-
quire but few minutes and is
quite likely to prove time well
spent.
If there is a basement, that
should be inspected thoroughly
and, preferably, last. The inspector
should be careful TO see that no in
flammable rubbish has been left
there. II there is a furnace, care
should be taken that nothing in
flammable, such as kindling, boxes.
ETC., is left either close to the sides
or the furnace or TO the pipes. And
particular care should be exercised
| that nothing of this sort is left in
| tfont OF the furnace, in a place
where a spark or live coal might
fall from the furnace and ignite It.
Such care should be exercised es-
pecially when the fire is banked.
It is impossible to guess when
back draught may force down the
flue and scatter hot ashes in front
Of the furnace. Sometimes such
back draught will force the furnace
doors open.
Care sMbuld be taken to deposit
all ashes in safe place. Often
ashes thought to be extinguished
still contain great heat below the
surface and cause fires when placed
in q container which is not fire
proof or close to something which
is inflammable.
Basement doors or traps should
be closed. If there is an elevator it
should be stopped at the first floor.
where 1t will shut off most OF the
draught obtained in an open ele-
vator shaft. Open shafts are also
dangerous for firemen working in
the building.
Persons in buildings Of all sorts
should take care that trash does
not accumulate in out-of-the-way
places. A regular inspection should
be made of places where trash may
SO accumulate, under stairs, tables,
benches and In closets or places
where careless persons may smoke
and throw away their cigar or ciga-
rette stubs, or drop the ashes from
their pipes.
Sweepings and trash gathered up
after the accumulation Of the day
should never be left in a building
overnight, unless 1t is in a meta
cohtainer with tight fitting lid
} If the store or other business build.
ing is heated with stoves the fire
should be either extinguished al
night or arranged so that at closing
time it has almost burned out.
Every door and exit should bt
kept cleared, as fires often gair
considerable headway after the
firemen arrive because of the de
lay in forcing an entrance through
door which Is obstructed. Blocked
passageways often have the samt
effect. IL windows are kept cleal
1t permits of passersby detectins
" fires much earlier than they can b'
discovered when the windows arr
blocked. Outside OF doors and win
dows should be kept cleared, as ,
, fire may start in trash outside th'
5 building and work through th'
l door or windows.
Particular care should be takel
/ in regard to electric connections
Be certain that the current is turn
4 ed off at every switch. A drop corr
r may be swung against something
! during the day and the insulation
9 ripped off. A puff of wind at nigh
Q may swing the naked wire agains
y a box or other woodwork an,
o cause a conflagration.
$ If people will start this inspec
tion at once and continue for
e short time they will soon fall int
A the habit. And, as Rith all othe
: details of business, they will shortl
!. systematize it to suit the condition
I of their particular building so tina
c 1t will require very short time I
e complete 1t. Such inspection ma
: be the means of saving thousand
: of dollars.
S ONT Y 90 PER CENT OF