The May Fire Loss
During the month of May the fire losses in the United States and Canada, as carefully compiled from records, totaled $24,968,800, as compared with May, 1916, an increase of $8,-995,300 over the month of May, 1916, when the figures were $15,973,500. The table following shows the losses for the first five months of 1917 and 1916 and for the balance of 1916:

In May, 1917, there were 261 fires, causing an estimated damage of $10,000 or more. The larger fires, causing a loss of $200,000 or over, included: Columbus, O., department store, $300,000; Pocatello, Idaho, garage and autos, $340,000; Toronto, Ont., munition factory, $350,000; Sioux Falls, S. D., warehouse, $1,-000,000; Macon, Mo., railroad station, etc., $550,000; Lexington, Ky., business houses, $600,000; Atlanta, Ga., conflagration, $5,000,-000; Fort William, Ont., stove works, $500,-000; Bowie, La., lumber yards, etc., $1,000,000; Greenwich, Conn., residence, $300,000.