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Show KEEP YOUR FIRE "INSIDE THE STOVE"'! Thousands of people will find it difficult to keep warm this winter, but- others will overdo the heating proposition their stoves or heating plants will set their houses on fire. The colder months bring an increase in fire losses. According to the records of the national board of fire underwriters under-writers for 1931, defective chimneys and flues accounted for a fire loss of 26 million dollars ? hot ashes, coals and open fires six and a quarter million dollars; and stoves, furnaces, boilers and their pipes twenty-four and three-quarter million a total of over 57 million dollars actually 11 per cent of the annual total from all causes. Specifications for installing a safe chimney, heating plant or stove are usually found in city building codes or may be obtained from your insurance agent. In the main, chimneys should be solidly constructed from the ground up and should contain flues made of fire clay. The heating units themselves and the pipes should be set up at a safe distance from all burnable material. Make certain that the stove or furnace, chimney and smoke pipes are cleared of soot. Remove worn, broken or rusted equipment. equip-ment. Protect beams with sheet asbestos. Use your own good common sense in operating the equipment, equip-ment, don't permit stoves or furnaces to become overheated, and don't put hot ashes into Wooden boxes or cartons a metal container con-tainer is safer. All open fires should be carefully screened. Aside from the destruction of property resulting from fires, it is estimated that 10,000 persons lose their lives in fires eacli year. This aspect alone is sufficient cause for greater care to prevent fires from heating plants. o |
