HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1966-10-06, Page 17SFAFORTH, ONTARIO, THTJRSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1966— Third Seetigti, Pages 17 to 24
Cost of. Fire Increasing
On Farms and in 2.Hoilles
a
ass Fires
May Be
Dangerous
Grass fire losses in Can-
ada "ain't hay", if you will
kindly pardon the expres-
sion.
Thirty thousand' dollars
last year_ was the out-of-
pocket cost of fighting
grass fires' in but one of
hundreds of rural districts
across the country.
At this rate, the direct
national financial burden
on the taxpayers may well
run into boxcar figures.,
From a Match To a Night-
mare
For the community, citi-
zen and volunteer firefigh-
ter alike, a grass fire can
be a nightmare. From a
single match or 'cigarette
carelessly tossed 'by a pas-
sing motorist, or a thought-
lessly -left picnic fire, may
come a terrifying wall of
flange to waste crops, build-
ings and precious park=
lands.
Numerous, too, are the
cases of people collapsing
from heart strain in their
frantic efforts to beat
down the creeping flames
with broom, sho' el and
wet sicking'. as ., they -see
their homes threatened,
The trouble with a grass
fire is that no sooner does
it appear to be licked than
it can start ,up again, fan-
ned 'by wind from another
quarter.
Bulldozers, Not Shovels
And if it gets into bog,
bulldozers, not hand shov-
els, may be needed.
If you've never exper-
ienced the terror of a grass
fire out of control, you're
lucky.
And if you're never the
cause of starting one, the
community will be lucky
too.
Remember - grass fire
losses "ain't hay" either
in dollars or in public dis-
tress!
Fire devastation in Canada in_ the past 10 years has
claimed 5,860 lives, injured and scarred thousands of
people, and has destroyed an estimated $1,360,000,000.
worth of property..
In 1965 the estimated toll of 68,580 fires was 588
'deaths and, property waste of $144,785,571. While Cali-
ada's overall rates of fire destruction are still among
the hit;'hest of any nation in the world one redeeming
feature of the 1965 record is. that there were 6,726 few-
er fires. The total of fires reported in 1964 was 75,306.
BLACK RECORD OF TRAGEDY
Despite population grofvth, there was a heartening,
if slight improvement in fire deaths in 1965. In 1964
deaths numbered 603 compared with -the preliminary
estimate of 588 last year. As usual, children continue
to figure largely amongst the victims. They numbered
222, men 229, women 137 in 1965.
Again, as they do every year, multiple death fires --
sometimes
sometimes wiping out entire families -- swell the black
record of fire tragedy.
Excluding forest and Government property fires, the
fire waste per capita population is reckoned at $7.40
compared with $7.71 in 1964.
Each year industry fire damage accounts for nearly
half the total destruction. The 10 -year .total of loss to
industry is conservatively reckoned at $600,000,000.
Only the -direct consts enter into this assessment.
Taking into account the indirect . economic factors —
including industrial production and job disruption —
the total burden of fire in a year is at least $750,000,-
000, fire authorities say. This works out to a cost of
$38.99 for every man, woman and child in a popula-
tion now approaching 20,000,000.
ALWAYS BE ON THE LOOKOUT
1C 1
When fire is discoverec!, even though
it appears to be small, don't delay,
but Dias Seaforth 527-1100.
Don't panic! Speak slowly and dis-
w .
tinctly, giving your=na'me and loca-
tion. If a rural fire, give Name,
Township, Lot and Concession, lo-
cation of fire and best route from
Seaforth.
Do not leave the telephone until you
have given all. the necessary infor-
mation.
If a -rural fire, . alert your neighbors
and at the same time :request them to bring water in any container
available at the time. If possible, stress the necessity of keeping
roads clear for passage of fire, truck.
Remember that when the fire truck arrives at the scene of the fire,
the Fire Chief is in full command.
JOHN F. SCOTT,' Fire Chief, Town of Seaforth
FIRE
PREVENTION ,._'
BEGINS WITH YOU!
HELP STOP
FIRES - SAVE LIVES
MEMBERS OF Britannia Lodge marked the
first occasion in the more than 100 years history
of the lodge in which a member has reached his
100th' birthday, when they visited Thomas Grieve
at his Egmondville home Friday evening. Mr.
Grieve that day celebrated the centennial of his
birth and during the day received many friends
who dropped in to offer congratulations. Includ-
ed in the messages he received were congratula-
tions from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and from
Prime Minister L. B. Pearson. Shown as they gath-
ered with Mr. Grieve, who has been a member of
the lodge for 48 years are: (front) Ross Scott,
J. E. Keating; Mr. Grieve, Cyril Kirk, Clair Reith
and Andrew Petrie; (rear) Joseph Hugill, John
Modeland, E. C. Boswell, C. A.' Barber, Frank
Kling, J. S. Cluff and Gordon A. Wright.
tanning for Big Match
egan Three Years Ago..
Nearly three hundred
manufacturers and organ-
izations across Canada are
planning for the exhibits
that they will feature in
the Tented City.
The Plowing Match
which attracts attendances
of up to 50,000 people a
day opens Tuesday, Octo-
ber 11th, and continues un-
til Friday, October 14th.
Headquarters centered on
the Scott Farms,, adjoining
Seaforth and on neighbor-
ing farms, including those
of Gordon Elliott, Con Eck-
ert, Graham Kerr, Thom-
as Govenlock, Francis Cole-
man, Harold Coleman,
Sam. Sco E, Peter McCow-
an, Hank Van Rooijen and
Peter Simpson.
To many people the
Plowing Match is simply
the activity that is present
during the few days in
which the match is in pro-
gress. Actually, however,
.the plowing match pro-
gram extends over a per-
iod of many, months. Ac-
tive planning .for the big
show here has been under-
way
nderway for more than three
years. The exhibitors who
will take part and who will
fill nearly four. .miles of
streets laid out in the Tent-
ed City, spend long hours
planning for the modern
equipment that they will
have on display. Crews pre-
paring the site and setting
up the shows have been in
the area over several
weeks.
As exhibitors completed
their preparations, they
found in Huron pretty
well everything they need-
ed to make their planning
easy: Seaforth and area
firms already had taken
steps to insure that sup-
plies would be complete
and service firms have ar-
ranged for additional staff
so that there would be no
ddlay in filling require-
ments.
Municipalities too are
going all out to the end
that everything *ill be in
readiness for the Match.
Mctillop 'Township has
led the way with a road re-
building program that has
been underway for two
years. As a result of work
undertaken by the Town-
ship, modern roads pro-
vide ready access to the
site. Roads leading to the
plowing match area ' have
been widened and re -de-
signed to carry the heavy
traffic loads which the
match . already is bringing.
Seaforth officials too
have made plans in associa-
tion with Huron Health
Unit and the Tented City
Committee for garbage
disposal and the provision
of other municipal services
which will be required.
The Seaforth P,U.C. co-op-
erated in the provision of
the hundreds of thousands
of gallons of water which
the Tented City will need.
At the same time- Hydro
and telephone officials
laid out distribution sys=
tems so that the same fa-
cilities available in any
large town .will be on hand
when the plowing .match
gets underway. At the
county level, the health un-
it staff and the officials of
the highway's department
assisted in insuring that
all the necessary services
are availably.
•THINK about FIREwherever you - are!
' "Can Johnny eat for
lunch, Maw?" -�
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