Fairhaven’s Fragile Future
With no fire protection and a growing district of wooden structures, local business owners fear the city is one spark away from total ruin.
For some time past this city has been badly in need of some kind of fire protection. At present there is none whatever, and the business portion of the city is at the mercy of the flames. Six months or a year ago fire protection was unnecessary, owing to the distance the buildings were apart, but now the whole district is thickly covered with buildings that are filled with costly merchandise. Each building erected increases the hazard and risk, and it is only a matter of time until it will be almost impossible to get indemnity against fire unless the citizens take hold and do something for themselves. Business men are now organizing a bucket brigade to bridge the gap until the city is incorporated and a proper fire department can be established.
“You cannot blame them. I have a large stock here, and it is well covered with insurance, but even then should I be burned out I would lose heavily.”
Fire safety was an existential concern for turn-of-the-century frontier towns built entirely of wood, mirroring how today's modern urban growth often outpaces the infrastructure required to sustain it.
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