Document: Ordinance|Director General and Council establishing fire regulations in New Amsterdam

It has been noticed and seen by the Director General of New Netherland, Curaçao and the Islands and by the Honble Council, that some careless people neglect, to have their chimneys properly swept and that they do not take care of their fires, whereby lately fires broke out in two houses and further troubles may be expected in the future, the more so, as most of the houses here in New Amsterdam are built of wood and roofed with reeds, also as in some house the chimneys are of wood, which is very dangerous. Therefore the Honble General and Council have deemed it advisable and very necessary, to consider this matter and they command and forbid, that henceforth no wooden or merely plastered chimneys shall be put into any house between the Fort and the Fresh Water; the chimneys, already in use, may remain until further orders and at the discretion of the firemasters. That the foregoing may be well observed, there are appointed for this purpose as firemasters: from the Honble Council Commissary Adrian Keyser, from the community Tomas Hall, Marten Krigier and George Wolsey, to visit, whenever they please, the chimneys in all houses between this Fort and the Fresh Water, wherever in the City they may stand and to ascertain, whether they are kept dean by sweeping and if they find them neglected and foul, they shall immediately, without contradiction, levy and collect a fine of three guilders for each chimney so found foul and condemned, this fine to be applied to the purchase of fireladders, hooks and buckets, which are to be procured at the first convenient opportunity. And if anybody's house is burned either by negligence or his own fire, he shall pay a fine of 25 fl., to be applied as above.
Done at Fort Amsterdam and published January 23, 1648.