Fire prevention is a very important undertaking for the members of the Newtown Square Fire Company.   One of the important challenges facing this group of trained and experienced, unpaid professionals is finding ways of motivating the community they protect in the important lesions of preventing fires and accidents.

 

An unexpected help in this ongoing quest came from a former resident of Newtown Square.    During his recent presentation made to members of The Press Club, broadcaster Chris Wheeler was signing copies of his easy-to-read, and entertaining book, “View from the Booth: Four Decades with the Phillies.”  During their dialog, Wheeler related to the Newtown Square Fire Company’s representative the background behind a Christmas morning visit by that Fire Company to his youthful Newtown Square home.

 

That story established multiple facets about holiday safety standards as well as the services provided by the Newtown Square Fire Company.  The senior Wheeler decided that a quick and simple way to rid the house of the collected holiday gift-wrapping material was to put in the fireplace.

 

The Wheeler family soon learned about the dangers of this disposal practice.  The resulting, almost explosion-like ignition of these paper products produced a very rapid increase in the temperature within the chimney. This unexpected temperature rise became the source of the ignition of the unseen buildup of combustible materials within the chimney.

 

The happy, peaceful Wheeler family’s Christmas was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of the volunteers from the Newtown Square Fire Company as they arrived to extinguish the chimney fire.  The Wheelers learned that even during a holiday, these volunteers are available to answer the emergencies of the community.

 

The lesson this fire established is an ongoing holiday concern of firefighters.  Holiday wrapping should be carefully inspected for a collection of any possible gift parts and then placed in a container for recycling.  Christmas wrappers must never be burned in a fireplace.

 

In one of his last messages, retiring Newtown Square’s Fire Chief stressed that no fire is good. Chief Doug Everlof stated, “The men and women staffing through the Newtown Square Fire Company hope that every home has a safe and happy holiday season.    While we indeed make ‘house calls,’ your firefighters would like to enjoy this holiday period with their families.”