Avoid Fires!
Safety sheet in black and red: a matchbox and scattered matches with a tall red flame, beside five arrowed rules such as 'Don't smoke in bed'. The flame image and the headline carry a mild fear-appeal; the rest is plain instruction.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1944
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- National Housing Agency, Federal Public Housing Authority
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Home front, Health
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
National Housing Agency. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-438 (NAID 513897).
Text on the object
AVOID FIRES! Be careful with matches cigarettes, cigars, etc. Be sure they are out before you throw them away Use safety matches or keep matches in metal boxes Keep them out of reach of small children Don't smoke in bed MATCHES [imprint:] NATIONAL HOUSING AGENCY / FEDERAL PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY [imprint:] U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1944-O-610518 [imprint:] SAFETY POSTER No. 4
