Denies Increased Hazard from Oil
The New England Association of Fire Chiefs called to the attention of the proper officials that fuel oil burners and the storage of oil fuel has increased the problem of fire protection. They suggested changes in the present regulations to control the storage of oil and the operation of the burners.
A. F. Foote, commissioner, has written to the governor of Massachusetts, in part, as follows:
“The data offered for consideration by the Association presents no improvement over the current regulations of the Department of Public Safety governing the same matters which have been in effect since November 1, 1923, and which have worked out satisfactorily in practice. No abnormal fire hazard has been created by the introduction into this state of fuel oil burners for heating purposes. Contrary to the statement in the letter of the Association that the number of fires from this source had increased greatly in 1925, it appears from the reports made to this office by the heads of fire departments that there were approximately fifty per cent less fires of this kind during 1925 than there were in 1924. During the year 1925, there occurred in Massachusetts 9,166 fires affecting property and only 33 of these fires were connected in any way with the use of fuel oil burners for heating purposes. The reports for the current year are not yet complete, but an examination of those available does not indicate any necessity of adopting regulations more stringent than those now in force.
“The investigation by inspectors of this department of many of the fires reported as being caused by oil burners develops the fact that they were occasioned by other causes in no way connected with the burners or the storage of fuel oil. In my opinion there is no present need of changing the current regulations of this department governing the matters in question.”
