Show nearly half of fires in homes home there were an estimated fires last year in IT U S urban A areas accor according aing ding to a survey made by the national B board 0 ard of fire underwriters Of of these fires are classified ali as bunding building fines fires were yere grass or bru buu brush sh fires and the 0 ther other fi non on build ing fires totaled residential fires accounted for of the fires or 70 per ce cent nt of the building fires they comprised 38 per p e r cent of the total number of fl fires r es fires in residential nonresidential non all ail assembly occupancies totaled fires in merchant occupancies CU cupan cies cles were estimated at 46 manufacturing occupancy fires totaled tOWed storage fires and miscellaneous fires the s urvey survey included as urban areas all cities over 2500 population and on reports received from rire lire chiefs of 1720 cities no attempt was waa made to estimate the number of OX fires in rural ar areas aas the fire chiefs reports indicated that in cities having a p P n of 2500 or more firis killed persons in 1947 |