FE Volume 150 Issue 2

Throughout the 1880s, fire incidents in most municipalities increased or remained about the same. Growing urban populations ensured the potential for catastrophe. At the same time, the fire community improved its firefighting capabilities and equipment (the 1880s, for example, saw the widespread use of workable aerial ladder turntables and aerial water towers). However, fire prevention and protection practices were far from ideal. Some of the major lessons derived from fire reports published in