PREVENTION OF FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19720, 20 August 1927, Page 14

PREVENTION OF FIRES.

INSTRUCTION TO CHILDREN. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT ] HAMILTON, Friday. A series of lectures on the prevention of waste by fire is being given to the school children of Hamilton by Mr. A. Craig, the superintendent of the Hamilton Fire Brigade. The greatest percentage of outbreaks of fire, said Mr. Craig in a lecture at Hamilton East school yesterday, was attributed to preventable causes, where the exercise of a little care would have obviated the occurrences. Most of the fires which were due to carelessness arose from leaving electric irons switched *Oll, from airing clothes in front of fires, from naked candles which came in contact with blinds, from sm'oking in bedrooms and from lighted matches being thrown down. Practically every fire which Occurred in a dwelling house was due to carelessness or neglect. 0 • The fire losses in New Zealand on a per capita basis were, said Mr. Craig, the highest in the world, and were four times those of England. America was practically on the same level as New Zealand, and in some of the States a week was set aside each year to educate the public and School, children in methods of lire prevention.