Wood as a fuel is dangerous because it burns rapidly, makes a lot of ashes and has to be replenished so often. Kerosene makes a lot of trouble because there is such crass ignorance in its use. Some people seem to love to fill a lamp when it is burning. Of course this is the worst thing that one could do. And others dote on pouring kerosene on an open fire. Gasoline is explosive and as a fuel for the home not at all warranted. Water won’t be a very good extinguisher in these cases, but we will talk about extinguishers a little later on. When you realize that six percent of all fires are caused by lamps it will do no one harm to learn the following rules by heart and by brain: Kerosene should always be handled by daylight and away from all flames and fires. Under no circumstances whatever should a lamp be filled while its wick is lighted. After filling a lamp both the burner and the reservoir should always be carefully wiped free from oil films. When a lamp is not burning it is well to keep the wick a little below the top of the tube. This helps to prevent oil from working over the burner and reservoir. Lamps should be filled as often as they are used. Especially do not light a lamp when the oil is low in the reservoir. Never use a burner which fits loosely upon the rest of the lamp. Never use a lamp wick which does not fit the tube provided for it. Never blow out a kerosene flame downward. Turn down the wick a little and let the flame go out of itself. If you must blow it out blow upward through the burner or across the top of the chimney. Both of these methods produce an upward draught. Do not try to carry a blazing lamp to a place of safety. The least agitation may cause an explosion. When the lamp is well filled there is small chance of gas forming in it; but as the oil is consumed explosive gases form. A burner that is kept clean and bright radiates heat, while a dirty one conducts heat to a lamp. Glass lamps are especially dangerous. The dropping or breaking of lighted lamps and the spreading of burning oil annually bring havoc to many hundreds of homes. MEDICAMENTS As well as cleaning fluids the presence of medicine and liniments made of ether and chloroform and alcohol are always causes of fire when not properly housed in the right kind of metal medicine chest and not directly over or near a gas jet or oil lamp. So remember to use carefully anything with these chemicals or camphor, varnishes, turpentine, benzine or gasoline. Keep them in tin cans, which are to be had for them. Use them in daylight. Never leave rags around saturated with oils, medicines or greases, because spontaneous combustion will take place.