The Wrangell Sentinel

Losses by Fires
Cited by U. of A.

The week of October 9-15 has been proclaimed Fire Prevention Week by proclamation of the President of the United States. This proclamation states that thousands of Americans are destroyed and countless others suffer disability from the same cause. Fire destroys our natural resources and forests, farms and schools, churches and hospitals, homes and factories.

Loss by fire in Alaska is perhaps higher than in most other sections of the nation. This loss occurs usually during the extremely cold weather when it is necessary to have hot fires to keep homes warm. Fire Prevention Week should have a special appeal to everyone in Alaska-on the farms, in the homes and in places of business.

Everyone loses through fires.

The annual farm fire loss in the United States takes the lives of 3,500 people burned to death. 10,000 more injured and a property loss of more than $100,000,000.

THREE CLASSES

There are three classes of fires -A, B, and C. "A" fires involve wood trash, paper, hay and other combustible materials. This type of fire can be fought with water, sand and the soda-acid type of extinguisher. "B" fires include gasoline, kerosene, grease and oil fires. They should be smothered with sand or ordinary baking soda, or with carbon dioxide or foam extinguishers. "C' fires are electrical fires-motors, generators etc. They can be smothered with ordinary baking soda, carbon dioxide, or other extinguishers suited for this class of work.

The Extension Service of the University of Alaska is cooperating with the U. S. Department of Agriculture in a campaign to prevent fires in the territory. Lorin T. Lloyd, director of the extension service, urgently requests all Alaskans to take action now and remove all hazards that might bring fire and loss to families in Alaska.