1636 Fire Red Squirrels [work] 【SAFE | 2026】

In short: a 1636 diary mentions using red squirrels to spread controlled fires on roofs, but it's almost certainly not true.

The phrase "1636 fire red squirrels" likely refers to a famous anecdote from the diary of , an English traveler who visited the Netherlands in 1636. He observed a peculiar method of firefighting that involved red squirrels .

According to his account, Dutch firefighters would and release them onto thatched roofs. The panicked animals would run across the roof, spreading the fire to burn away damp or mossy thatch — a supposed preventive measure against rot and vermin.

However, this practice is now widely regarded as . No independent Dutch records confirm it, and it seems more likely a traveler’s tall tale or a misunderstanding. Modern historians consider it an early example of quirky historical mythmaking rather than actual firefighting technique.