The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-02
Campers and Loggers Getting in
Their Deadly Work.
NO BIG BLAZEs REPORTED YET.
There II Plenty of Law for Punish
ing Those Responsible for the
Planes, but Ii Ii Impossible to
Secure q COuviction-LOgRer and
Campers Are Responsible for All
the Forest Fires-COmmit Arson.

With the opening days OF August comes
the breath OF the forest fires. Already the
pungent smoke Of burning timber is drift
ing down on the city. TIE smell OF II Is
In the air, and presently. unless the dry
spell is broken by rain, the street Will De
filled with a dun-colored mist SO thick that
folk VIII have to look twice before they
can recognize their friends across the curb.
As yet no serious fires have been report
ed, though numerous small ones are burn
ing ND and down the Sound and here and
there among the inland timber belts, The
railroad companies report mat no property
has been injured yet but serious danger 10
II may he ahead unless rain falls. Ill Is
estimated roughly that each year the
state suffers Sfoo 90 loss from timber and
property consumed and damaged. County
and railroad bridges and logging outfits are
particularly subject 10 the ravases. Prob
ably one-half OF the loss sustained is
through timber burned.
The matter of the prevention OF forest
fires has been found no less dirlcult than
their subdung. From tine TO time iegis-
lttures have provided statutes 10 protect
the forest lands by esta oiisling penalties
for both careless and ~iilfui frins- There
is no lack Of penalty, bat punishment IS
different thing for the reason that 1t Il
seldom possible or at least seldom mas
been possible, TO detect the TENDERS. IL
Is said that. notwithstan ling the ample
laws on the subject, 10 conviction for for
est firing has ever been had in the state
The statutes provide that L shall be an
offense punishable by q line OF from sio 10
$3.50 to kindle a fire on ary private TIMBER
land without the owners c1rSt ut: that Il
shall be an offeuse subject 10 like punish
ment for any person 10 kindle fire ON his
own property where the conditions o. wind
or iuxtapoSition may cause the fire 10
spread to the injury OF other property: that
Il shall he an offense punishable hY tine
of not more than 81 .0Go for any person 10
fail 10 do all In his power to control fire
started by him either W1efuily oT caIe-
lessIv: punishment is also provided Tor the
Willful or careless firing Of state o: ni;ed
States timber. 1t viii he seen from this
that the full pound Of cure is az hand 10
apply, If not the ounce Of prevention. The
whole matter is within the jurisdiction OF
the state land commissioner. II has been
suggested that IL he could appoint a fire
warden TO give his whole attention to the
matter and follow " the fires OF June,
July, August and September, some AT least
OF the careless and the criminal Offenders
might he brought to punishment and made
examples of for future a9monition.
The origin OF forest fires may he traced
usually to one of two causes: ioggers and
campers. with the many new steam ap
alliances for cutting and hauling timber
that have come into use since the days Of
the AK and the OK cart, K Is not strange.
especially in the almost wholesale absence
OF spark arresters. that careless loggers
should set he woods afire. But that camp
ers from the towns and cities should not
have enough forethought. common sense
or conscience 10 enjoy an outing IN the
woods without setting them aiire is more
than strange
II IS stated by those familiar With the
subject that by far the greater proportion
Of forest fires. great and small. disastrous
and !nconsequential, may be traced to un-
cytinguished camp fires. The reasonable
suppos.t;on IS that being for the greater
part unacquainted with woods life. they
are ignorant Of the grave offense they com
NIT But they should bear III mind that
Ignorance is no excuse in the eyes OF the
law They would be probably very inds
nant IL they were told they had. even un-
Willingly. committed arson. Yet that is
exactlv what they have done II every
camper and every logger would exercise
a due and reasonable caution. these yearly
forest fires would become thing Of the
past, and n vast amount az property would
be saved 20 the DeODle Of the state