Evening star., 1942-07-26
Fire Watchers
Here Far Below
Minimum Nedd
5000 Shortage Cit Z
As Lundis Coils for
Strong Guard Forces

vi kdAkALd Va q AAS W~SSAA~e
force big enough to protect every
building In every target area against
the ravages of incendiary bombs
was urged on local defense councils
Yesterday by Director James M.
Lands OF the Once Of Civilian De-
Tense.
Washington has about 5000 fire
watchers spread unevenly across the
city. according to Chief Air-Raid
Warden William j.. Mileham. The
OCD FIRE watchers handbook calls
for from 10 to so watchers for every
500 people, which would require ap-
proximately 10000 watchers to meet
even the minimum figure. Mr..
Mileham said 1t might be necessary
to enroll as many fire watchers as
there are now air-raid wardens and
there are more than 10000 of them.
At present, some areas here have
only two fire watchers while others
have more than 100, Chief Mileham
said. 1t was also understood that
more attention has been given to
the service here In government and
other office buildings than In the
residential sections.
Citizens Must Cooperate.
While 1t is pointed out in the
handbook that every civilian must
watch for and help control incen-
diary bombs, special reliance must
be placed upon the skill Of trained
personnel, who are not only respon-
sible for combating bomb fires but
Of seeing that advance precautions
are taken against their spread.
Dean Lands visualized fire
watchers as the first line Of de-
tense against incendiaries. The ire
watcher, he said, must be situated
so as to see or hear every fire bomb
dropped within his area. This will
take him to roof areas, steeples and
other high places. He must be able
to reach each bomb promptly and
control it and the resulting IRE, II
possible.
The fire. watchers major duty.
Dean Lands declared, would be to
spot and put out small fires before
they reached the point where ma
jor equipment became necessary
or developed into con1agrations
that no department could control.
Recent close study Of British ex-
perieAce with fire bombs, the OCD
director declared, shad Made 1t ap-
parent that a n1qeEicAliy strong
well-organized and trained body Of
fire watchers was essential.
Property Protection Vital
"Fhe first emphasis Ia the civilian
81 defense program was naturally upon
protection Of human life." he said
"But the protection OF homes, busi-
ness property and arms plants
against destruction by air raid IS
also Of tremendous Importance and
the British have found that large
scale confiagration started by flre
combs can be more destructive than
high explosives"
Study of the effect Of bombing
raids made upon Britain shows that
a major portion Of alb property de-
struction is caused by fire and that
prevention of fire is the most i'm
portant step which can be taker
to reduce damage"
A heavy bomber will carry Al
many as 1000 incendiary bombs
Director Lands said, and will OTTER
drop them in a concentrated arei
with the object Of starting score
or hundreds of fires simultaneously
d Once q conflagration has beel
0 started, British experience show
r that the most that organized fir
: departments can do Is confine tn
: destruction within fire stops or na
tural barriers, and that their effort
Il to do this may be seriously handi
r capped by high explosive disruption
: of water mains, he declared.
e Swift Action Required.
- "Such 4 concentration Of fir'
bombs puts a premium on speed o
: defense" he said. Obviously, mer'
n watching and reporting are made
: quate-action. immediate and sue
r cessful action by men on the spot
is required"
/. The necessity for attacking ant
quenching fire bombs as speedily al
r possible was one of the reasons VIII,
2 both Britain and the United State!
e have adopted the method of using .
solid stream of water, rather than ,
" fine spray as was previously recon-
4 mended, Director Lands said.
e Both Germany and Japan. sine
" the British destruction of Cologn,
It and other German cities, and tn
e American raid on Toxic, must b.
fully aware Of the efficacy Of tn
!. fire bomb" he pointed out. IF eithe
of them raid American cities, vi
r. must be prepared for fire bombs, q
\ well as high explosives"