"The Song of The Flame"

Dirdctor of Fire Protection Service, Assbciated Lumber Mutuals

Even before I saw the performance of "The Song of the Flame", I heard and came to love the music as it came in over the radio or as it wap played by orchestras in our hotels and in our clubs. It was wonderful music, yasn'! it? It was a wonderful show on the stage and subsequently it made a gorgeous entertainment as presented in pictures and sound via the screen. I thrill to it yet whenever I hear the familiar strains and I can shut my eyes and see again the blood-stirring action of the dramatic story.

The orchestra played some of the music today at our Optimist Club luncheon, and, as I thought of the title, it registered with me from a different angle than ever before -"Th€ Song of the Flame."

Yes, the flame that we know-or fire, as we speak of it more commonly-does have a song-a song that varies with conditions and adapts itself to the mood of the listener. Sometimes it sings merrily or hums cheerily, as it crackles in the fire-place, at the bidding and under the absolute control of its human master. Sometimes it sings a song of rebellious fury, when it bursts its bonds and leaps forth to devour and destroy whatever may lie in its path. Sometimes it's a song of inspiration, sometimes it's a dirge of despair.

I can remember many a time-and probably you can recall similar experiences-when I have come in from a January tramp back in the middle west, or an afternoon of ice skating, or even from a round of winter golf ; yes, I can recall one or two such occasions up in the mountains near Lake Arrowhead. Coming in out of the crisp, cold air, I have hung up my warm clothing in the closet, pulled ofi my heavy shoes and slid my feet into comfortable slippers, and then settled dorvn in a big easy chair before the open fire-place. Ah, rvasn't that a wonderful fire?-And didn't it sing a wonderful song of happiness and contentment, a song of "Home, Sweet Home"? And then, like as not, it sang a most seductive lullaby as Iand you too perhaps-dropped off to sleep. Remember?

'Then again, there have been other times when I have watched an unleashed fire sweep through mile after mile of timber on the mountain sides or feast on a lumber yard, a warehouse or a mill. Some of those were wonderful fires too; viewed only as magnificent spectacles and the songs of those wild flames, with all their roaring and snarling were undoubtedly wonderful harmonies, but there was something terrible as well in both the picture and the song.

Fire is singing a song for us all. It rests very largely with you and with me as to what the "Song of the Flame" is to be, so far as w.e are concerned. If we kepp fire in its place as a useful servant, under complete, control a,t all times, its song will always be sweet music to our ears. If we relax in our vigilance and become careless with fireand the things upon which fire delights to feed, the melody may easily become a song of terror, with an aftermath of sorrow and serious financial loss.

Most of us hate to believe that we are as careless as the records of fire losses prove us to be. It's a terrible indictment of the American people to say that 75 per cent of all fires could be prevented, but that is what the record shows. The Associated: Lumber Mutuals do not insure properties where the hazards of fire run high. They offer their insurance protection only to business men of an intelligent type, who realize the advantage of cooperation ,with fire prevention engineers to make their properties as safe as possible against any and all kinds of fire hazards. In spite of that fact, the records of fire losses investigated and paid by the Associated Lumber Mutuals show that more than 75 per cent of all fires are due to carelessness of some kind; carelessness about personal habits and operrating routine, about defective construction and repairsand all fires that can be traced to carelessness of any kind. are distinctly and undeniably preventable. The records of all other fire insurance companies in America will show the same or even more convincing evidence to substantiate the charge of carelessness as a national characteristic.

A complete tabulation of available figures shows that there are about 1500 fires every day in the United States and that over 1100 of these fires could absolutely be prevented. That means nearlv 550.000 fires in a twelve- month, with over 400,000 of them in the preventable class. It doesn't seem possible, does it? And yet, facts are facts, about fires as well as about anything else. There isn't any guess-work about it. We are guilty, beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Well, what are we going to do about it? Laugh it off? We can't do that-it's too serious for us to be indifferent about it. There was a time when we could perhaps afford to be extravagant-if our consciences would let us look on such a waste with complacency-but that's not the case today. We must be appalled at the magnitude of this unnecessary fire loss. When economic efficiency has become such an important factor in every activity of life, we must give serious consideration to ways and means of preventing this terrible waste.

'We- can do better than this. We're not dumb-even though our European brethren might be justified in thinking so when they compare our'fire loss records with theirs. We know better. We're just careless We have brains and w,e know what to do with them but for about fifty weeks in the year we don't think.

In October of every year, we have our annual Fire Prevention Week. For that one week, we give a little serious thought to the danger of fire and the broom sweeps a bit cleaner. We have fewer fires and smaller losses. The following week, there are more fires, again and heavier losses, but there's still some traceable effect of the publicity and educational stimulus against fire. By another week, we've forgotten all about it, we slip back into the old routine, and the fire alarm sounds as frequently and as merrily as ever,

The .truth is that we don't give the matter serious and continued concern. We ought to "get religion" in fire prevention. We ought to preach it and we ought to practice what we preach in our daily business life. If we were constantly as alert against fire dangers as we are in connection with other business problems, there would be a different story to tell. It would be too much to expect that every preventable fire could be prevented. None of us is perfect. We'll all slip now and then, just as we do in other business transactions. However, if we'll just try and do our human best, it is possible to make a record in which we can take a lot more pride than in the one which condemns us today. We can then listen to the "Song of the Flame" without the sense of shame which must overwhelm every conscientious lumberman today.