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Show Fighting the Red Demon j THE best time to fight a fire is before It occurs. That fart is being driven home all over the ration this week. Intelligently planned by experts. ex-perts. Fire Prevention week is an educational enterprise in which are bound up the saving of human life, the destruction of homes and many million dollars' worth of other property. Its-lessons Its-lessons are important and are of interest and concern to all the people. Almost never does a fire deserve lo be called unpreventable. If men, women and children wen ware of fire hazards and if they took Immediate action to remove or remedy them or to report promptly to the ire department of their existence, exist-ence, fires would be of very rare occurrence. Most fires are the result of ignorance, carelessness care-lessness or laziness. Fire Prevention week ha as its purpose the wiping out of ignorance. More s the pity, it csn do little to change the habits of those who don't care what happens and of those) who will not move to do the thing they know should be done. We do not know with what thoroughness other cities are being shown how to prevent fires, but commendable indeed has been the teal displayed by Chief Walter S. Knight, his battalion chiefs and in general the personnel of the city fire department. Their far reaching campaign has been reaching school children, businessmen's organizations, building owners, watchmen and janitors and workers in many lines of industry and business where there are special hazards or simple hazards essily overlooked. over-looked. Timely warnings have been given to householders house-holders regarding attention to their heating apparatus ap-paratus as cold weather comes on, care in disposing dis-posing of accumulated trash in the open or in Moves and furnaces so that fires may not be started by embers falling onto roofs or into nearby near-by places where there is dry shrubbery or other combustible material. The danger in faulty wiring, wir-ing, particularly that dona by handy husbands and youths, has been pointed out. Leaving electric elec-tric current turned on after appliances have been used has been ahown as a frequent cause of serious fires. Accumulation of rubbish in basements base-ments and cellars and generally about residences, leaving greasy mops and rags about to burst spontaneously Into flame, thoughtless use of matches and leaving them within reach of children chil-dren and many other careless habits have been warned against In every respect and with great thoroughness the men of the lira department have been performing per-forming a most useful service to the community this week. Now it Is 'the responsibility of the public to give heed. In carrying fire prevention education to tha whole community, the fire department de-partment is doing its beat work. The nationwide propaganda and the efficient local effort to make it effective are praiseworthy endeavors and should be appreciated for their true value In the conservation of life and property. |