Civilian defense. Fire prevention. The charred wood along the edge of this improperly constructed chimney tells of a fire that could have destroyed a whole building if the fire department had not pulled away lath and plaster, and extinguished it before it could spread. Here the wood construction was built too close to the chimney. In 1941, defective and overheated chimneys caused 58,000 fires and the destruction of 15 million dollars of property