| Show Children an and Matches Two small children lost their lives in ina a fire which swept a trailer house parked behind their home at Lapoint Uintah County this week The children had been playing in the trailer house although although although al al- al- al though they had been forbidden to do doso doso doso so for fear some such tragedy might hap hap- pen There was reason for that family concern because two years ago a sister of the childrens children's mother had lost her two children in a similar trailer house blaze It is not known definitely how the fire started but Uintah County law enforcement enforcement enforcement en en- officers were investigating reports that the youngsters had been playing with matches It is quite possible that was the reason reason rea rca son for this tragic fire Children playing playing playing play play- ing with matches are responsible for many fires fires and and they all too frequently end tragically Parents need to be e more alert to the with playing-with-matches danger Not only does docs it constitute a major cause of costly fires and a major cause of loss of life from fire Playing with matches may indicate a budding firebug according to Dr Richard C. C Steinmetz chief special agent for the Mutual Investigation Bureau Bureau Bureau Bu Bu- Bu- Bu reau an agency established by mutual fire and casualty insurance companies in Chicago to help combat fires Analyzing the case of a 15 year old Chicago youth who confessed setting six fires Dr Steinmetz said that an inordinate inordinate inordinate nate passion for matches may be a of tendencies toward Dr Steinmetz emphasized that curiosity curiosity curiosity curi curi- about fire is normal among children children children chil chil- dren and that it should be satisfied as soon as the child is old enough by permitting permitting permitting per per- him to light matches under su su- But this should be accompanied accompanied pani d by careful instruction as to the destructiveness and danger of fire And the child should never be allowed to use matches as playthings Parental alertness as to the child- child match danger may prevent serious property property property prop prop- erty loss avert tragic injury or death death death- or even expose and correct tendencies in some youngster before great harm is done |
