THE SCHOOL FIRES DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING ABSTRACTS WERE SELECTED BECAUSE EACH OF THEM ILLUSTRATES ONE OR MORE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF FIRE SAFETY. SOME ARE INTERESTING PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THEIR CAUSE. OTHERS DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF EVACUATION AND FIRE DRILLS, OF AUTOMATIC FIRE DETECTION AND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS, AND OF PROPER STRUCTURAL DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE, AT THE END OF THIS REPORT ARE FIVE STATISTICAL TABLES SUMMARIZING 155 SCHOOL FIRES REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION DURING 1971 AND 1972 TOGETHER WITH A LIST OF SCHOOL FIRES SINCE 1900 WHICH HAVE INVOLVED A LARGE LOSS OF LIFE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)