prevention is everybody's job Fire losses in the United States last year rose to a record high of an increase of 58 percent over 1959 Fires last year took the lives of per per- sons The tragic thing about these fir fires s is that th thousands thousands us- us ands of them could have been avoided They never should have happened It 11 is a reminder of this fact that the nation is observing observing observing ob ob- ob- ob 1 serving Fire Prevention Week from October 8 to 14 Nearly one-fourth one of all fires urea lires t l this country are arc caused by matches and smoking according to the National National National Na Na- Board of Fire Underwriters another 20 percent are the result of misuse of electrical equipment Because smoking matches-smoking account for such a large percentage of all aU fires of known origin their real and potential pote danger cannot be emphasized enough In the home the cigarette dumped into a waste basket or dropped onto a bed while you doze can easily set the fire that will destroy your home possibly take your life By keeping matches away from children we can prevent prevent prevent pre pre- vent them from starting fires and by making sure that all of our electrical appliances are in good repair we can reduce the possibility of fire still further The fact is YOU could be one of the tho fire victims Today fire is due to strike American homes Hundreds Hundreds Hundreds Hun Hun- will be badly damaged many totally destroyed I An untold number of persons will wUl die suffer painful burns bums or be maimed for life Most fires in the home are caused by carelessness and it is to the interest of all aU to rededicate ourselves to care are with fire at this time