Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Story
September 18, 1958
Smyrna Times
Smyrna, Kent County, Delaware
What is this article about?
State Fire Marshal William R. Favinger urges Delaware residents to practice home fire safety, citing U.S. statistics on frequent home fires that kill children and elderly. He provides precautions for bedrooms and kitchens to prevent fires.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Fire Marshal Cautions Against Home Fire Threat
State Fire Marshal William R. Favinger this week urged Delawareans to practice safety in the home, pointing out that a majority of fire losses occur there.
Mr. Favinger cited statistics that show that in the United States there are nearly 800 home fires a day or approximately one fire every two minutes. These home fires, according to Mr. Favinger, are the leading killers of children and second only to falls as killers of the elderly.
The Fire Marshal pointed out that many fires start in bedrooms and kitchens, and offered the following as safety precautions to be taken:
Precautions Against Fire in Bedroom:
1. Never smoke in bed. You might fall asleep, drop your cigarette. Toxic gases from the fire that might result could render you unconscious before the heat awakened you.
2. Don't string electric extension cords around any room. Never run cords under rugs or over nails where they will wear, causing short circuit, possibly fire.
3. If you use a portable oil or gas heater, be certain there is ventilation in the room and turn it out before going to bed. Many people are suffocated every year because they used unvented oil or gas heaters in tightly-closed rooms.
4. Place portable heaters where they cannot easily be tipped, tripped on, or overturned.
5. Do not use lighted matches to search dark closets. Use a flashlight.
Precautions Against Fire in Kitchen:
1. To prevent a grease fire in your stove, clean out your over and under the burner regularly thus avoiding an accumulation of grease. And keep grease containers away from your stove. If a grease fire does start while you're cooking, cover the burning pan with a large flat cover using a long handled fork, or smother it quickly by sprinkling ordinary baking soda or salt on it.
2. If you use a gas range, keep it clean and make sure window curtains or hanging towels don't blow over flames.
3. If you use an oil or kerosene stove: Keep main storage of oil outside. Never refill when the stove is lighted. Keep stove clean and free of dirt at
Continued on Page Twelve
State Fire Marshal William R. Favinger this week urged Delawareans to practice safety in the home, pointing out that a majority of fire losses occur there.
Mr. Favinger cited statistics that show that in the United States there are nearly 800 home fires a day or approximately one fire every two minutes. These home fires, according to Mr. Favinger, are the leading killers of children and second only to falls as killers of the elderly.
The Fire Marshal pointed out that many fires start in bedrooms and kitchens, and offered the following as safety precautions to be taken:
Precautions Against Fire in Bedroom:
1. Never smoke in bed. You might fall asleep, drop your cigarette. Toxic gases from the fire that might result could render you unconscious before the heat awakened you.
2. Don't string electric extension cords around any room. Never run cords under rugs or over nails where they will wear, causing short circuit, possibly fire.
3. If you use a portable oil or gas heater, be certain there is ventilation in the room and turn it out before going to bed. Many people are suffocated every year because they used unvented oil or gas heaters in tightly-closed rooms.
4. Place portable heaters where they cannot easily be tipped, tripped on, or overturned.
5. Do not use lighted matches to search dark closets. Use a flashlight.
Precautions Against Fire in Kitchen:
1. To prevent a grease fire in your stove, clean out your over and under the burner regularly thus avoiding an accumulation of grease. And keep grease containers away from your stove. If a grease fire does start while you're cooking, cover the burning pan with a large flat cover using a long handled fork, or smother it quickly by sprinkling ordinary baking soda or salt on it.
2. If you use a gas range, keep it clean and make sure window curtains or hanging towels don't blow over flames.
3. If you use an oil or kerosene stove: Keep main storage of oil outside. Never refill when the stove is lighted. Keep stove clean and free of dirt at
Continued on Page Twelve
What sub-type of article is it?
Disaster
What themes does it cover?
Catastrophe
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Home Fires
Fire Safety
Bedroom Precautions
Kitchen Precautions
Fire Marshal
What entities or persons were involved?
William R. Favinger
Where did it happen?
Delaware
Story Details
Key Persons
William R. Favinger
Location
Delaware
Story Details
Fire Marshal warns of home fire dangers, cites statistics on frequency and fatalities, and lists precautions for bedrooms (no smoking in bed, safe cord use, ventilated heaters, stable placement, flashlights) and kitchens (clean stoves, manage grease fires, clean gas ranges, safe oil stove use).