There are regular fireproof builders who do naught else but fireproof work, but in this article we are only concerned in the home after it is built. Yet we cannot refrain from saying that the right architect and the right builder at first will reduce your fire hazard; they will adhere not only to the Underwriters’ rulings but they will build a house so that its insulation (electric), air insulation and circulation and partitions will be done according to safe and wise arrangement. Don’t do foolhardy things and think you can get away with them. Have the telephone number of the nearest fire station on a special card at your telephone, or have fire departments in your own home--extinguishers. Familiarize the family with the operation of the nearest fire alarm box. After operating a fire alarm, stay near it to direct the fireman to the fire. Every minute is significant. Don’t fail to notify the chief of the fire department of anything you may see that is dangerous or liable to cause fire. We could say to-day that in the home millions are spent for fires, but hardly one cent for prevention of them. Should we not as enlightened human beings take thought and save the world some of its useless expenditure of life, limb and extravagance? There is now on the market a new little extinguisher weighing about two pounds. CHAPTER XLIII TAKING CARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD EQUIPMENT As we have intimated before in these articles, the best of everything may be yours, yet if you care for them in slovenly, careless or uninformed ways it will be as if you had nothing whatever of any value. The persistent ignorance of the seemingly most enlightened and experienced housekeepers as to the use and care of the refrigerator is appalling. It is positively amazing to see the breakage of sane rules of procedure in favor of what seems to them proper. For example, the best of housewives will insist on filling the ice chamber of the refrigerator with but a suspicion of ice and a riot of food, whereas the ice chamber is meant for ice, and ice to the limit of its capacity, not once a week but every and all day. Unless this is done the air currents over which the manufacturer has slaved to make possible will not occur, and the best refrigerator becomes a useless thing. You might just as well get a packing case and stuff it full of ice and food. The ice chest must be full in order to cool the air and start the heavier (cool) air falling through the chest, which as it descends gets warmer, rises, passes over the ice, cools again and drops--and so on in endless circulation. It is these currents which keep the refrigerator cold; it is not the ice cake itself. In a little ice box, yes, the food has to be put into the ice chamber as there is no other, but here you are not depending on the melting of the ice starting air currents to descend and to rise. The problem is quite a different one.