Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-02-24
FIRE-IT'S CAUSE
AND PREVENTION

thing that will burn"
/ The boys definition is a very liter
al one and cannot be disputed, but
it is hardly broad enough to cover
the subject as we wish to discuss it,
No one agency has done so much
to destroy the buildings erected by
mankind as has fire; millions of dol
lars worth of buildings are restroy-
ed annually and no community is
exempt from the ravages of this de-
lmon of destruction of life and prop
erty..
The remarkable thing about these
tremendous losses is the fact that
the greater part of them are prevent
able if the rules of prevention and
safety are observed
There is no need of piling up facts
and figures to convince you that
fire is a dangerous enemy of man
kind, when out of its proper bounds,
neither is there any use of giving
you the staggering figures of the
total loss each year in the United
States.
1t is the object of this article to
bring the question home to each
person and if one fire is prevented
as a result a purpose will have been1
fully worth while to the community.
community.
You doubtless are very positive
that you are in no particular danger
of fire at your house. but at this
very minute the flues may be defec-
tive and life and property is at stake.
Your stove pipe may go through |
a wall or ceiling, and in spite OF
your caution when putting it up,
the first time your chimney burns
out or you have an unusually hot
fire, your house may be in ashes.
It is dangerous to leave your house
with a lot of fuel in the stove; the
accumulation of gas may be ignited
in your absence, and the doors of
the stove blown open and Goals
scattered over the room, or the Chin
ney may catch on fire and the hot
sparks fall upon the dry shingles
If the roof and start fire in that
way.
Some folks have a wooden box on
he porch in which they put their
ashes, and of course they always
hink there are no live Goals in the
ssh pan when they empty it, but
t is another story akin to the gun
hat is not loaded.
Many fires are caused by old rags
II clothing left in sheds or in the {
ittic, and in the course of months
II sometimes years, these rags are
gnited by spontaneous combustion
md another fire loss that is not
ccounted for.
Cigar and cigarette stumps claim
heir share of fires by being thrown
n waste paper baskets, in buildings, I
cad grass, around barns and in the |
FOODS, and many a fire is started
y the burning match thrown down [
y the careless smoker who walks |
way and does not see that the match
e has used is put out. !
In this country where pasture and c
mber is so scarce and valuable we =
now what the carelessness of the :
amper means in destruction of =
of acres of good pasture
nd timber.
Thousands of persons in the Unit
/ States lose their lives every year =
ON kerosene or gasolene explosions D
nd right here in Mountain Home
lie young mother lost her life last n
,ar from a gasolene stove.
Pouring coal oil in the stove to g
art a fire is dangerous as there s
ay be live Goals which quickly p
Irn the coal oil into gas and when :,
e flame starts it flares up and Oft
ignites the clothing of the person A
Hiding the fire. i.
Gasoline is still more dangerous -
Id should never be used around
re and gasoline stoves often leak ii
Id catch on fire and in an attempt m
put it out, the victim is burned ~
Always remember that water does
It put out a coal oil or gasoline fire til
It spreads it, as both are lighter ra
an water and float on top of the -
tier. or
The average person however goes nj
to a panic and starts to run and
is is almost certain death. III
Loss of property is bad enough vi,
t loss of life is tragedy that
ings sorrow and suffering and Oft to
leaves little children alone in the WI
rid tia
Only a person with a carelessness sic
at is criminal, will leave small I'm
ildren alone or asleep in the house az
lille they are away. II awake, the A
ildren are prone to play with fire on
matches and if asleep they are
en- burned to death from fires that ~; ~,
TT while they are innocently sleep nv