Dear Dr. Boli: In the hall of the building where I work is a glass case, and inside the case is an axe. On the glass are white letters that spell out, “IN CASE OF FIRE BREAK GLASS.” I don’t understand any of it. What does the axe do? How is it related to fire? —Sincerely,  A Befuddled Office Worker.

Dear Sir or Madam: Like other supernatural phenomena, fire is most effectually dealt with by dealing with the spirits that cause it—in this case, the fire demons. Emergency fire stations such as the one you describe are required by fire codes in many cities. If there is a fire in your building, you simply lift the glass panel, remove the axe, and use it to smash the glass. If you do it forcefully enough, the resulting loud crash will frighten the fire demons out of your building altogether.