Texas Fires and Their Causes
Forty-one thousand fires occurring in Texas since December 10, 1910, have been reported to the State Fire Marshal and classified as follows: In dwellings, apartment, boarding houses and private outhouses, as preventable. Flues, 2,950; exposures, 2,860; conflagrations, 245; stoves and heating, 1,830; kerosene lamps. 696; curtains, gas, 606; electric wiring. 657; ashes, candles, carelessness, 769; parlor matches, 717; gasolene and volatiles, 636; kerosene stoves, 389; fireworks, 67; burning grass and rubbish, 189; spontaneous combustion, 143; cigars and cigarettes, 254; electrical appliances, 220; total, 13,228. Unpreventable: Sparks on roof, 928: incendiary, 409; lightning, 739. Total. 2,076. Unknown cause, 3,574. Totals, 18,878. In mercantile, special hazards and other classes. Preventable: Exposures, 5,809; conflagrations, 651; cigars and cigarettes, 648; stoves and heating. 481; flues, 486; electric wiring, 965; gasolene and volatiles. 711; kerosene, 154; fireworks, 103; spontaneous combustion, 361; parlor matches, 537; curtains, gas, 185; lights, miscellaneous, 358; burning grass and rubbish, 98; rubbish, 204; ashes and coals, 42; electrical appliances. 221; fuel oil. 20; kerosene stoves, 7; ashes, rubbish. carelessness, 50. Total, 4,110. Unknown causes, 5,929. Total, 22,122. Unpreventable fires: Incendiary 866; sparks on roof, 246; lightning, 389; machinery, 322; boilers, 71; slap pits, shaving vaults, 43; dry kilns, 19; cotton fires, 1,198; dust explosions, 5; cotton gin fires, 951. The following classes contribute the greatest number of losses; dwellings, owner, frame, 10,571; tenant, frame, 6,743; owner, brick, 307; tenant, brick, 131; owner or tenant, 88; mercantile buildings, brick, 4,901; contents, brick, 7,136; buildings and contents, frame, 2,804. Special hazards and other classes, 8,319. Grand total. 41,000.
