Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-05-29
HEAD THEM OFF
FOREST FIRES CAN BE PREVENT.
ED WITH A LITTLE CAUTION.
A Vast Destruction Of Timber Occurs Each
Year in Washington Through Forest Fires
Of Careless Origin. A Little Caution
Means Many Dollars to the State.

There is peculiar element of spong::-
ness in the air and soil OF Washington
that also extends to grass and tree foli-
age, which in surprisingly short time
OF sunshine will cha nge nearly all surface
elements from being water proof to
high degree of infammabilty. Thus it is
that after prolonged wet season the at
mosphere will be hazy from the driving
out process, until the great load of mois
ure is lifted, when clear, beautiful days
will follow until darker haze clouds the
brightness and remains through the
summer.
1t is this lurid gloom that is excessively
dreaded by the lumbermen OF the Pacific
Northwest, for it is the Signal that their
forests are burning, and that before the
smoke disappears millions of feet of fine
timber will be burned into asles. This is
just about the season when the anxious
timberman expects the first warning of
danger, and as the weather the is already
beginning to be quite dry, he may not
be disappointed.
Washington unfortunately seems to be
the victim OF more forest fires than any
other region. 1t held the record last
year, as it did many times before then,
losing grand total, forest professor
says, of 10000, 900, 900 feet of timber
and if the people who start fires are not
more careful, it will hold the record again
in 1902. The government maintains a
fairly good patrol service in the forest re.
serves, that is saving such localities from
disastrous fires; but the private owner
has not and cannot have such protection,
and is forced to trust to the carefulness
Of the people living near his property to
prevent the spread OF fires that they
start in clearing their land and to provi-
dence to extinguish the blazes that come
from camping places. The owner is lucky
if his trees live through the summer
season with whole skins.
All that the lumbermen ask is that
settlers be careful that the clearing fires
do not spread beyond their control, and
they ask this for not only their own sal
walton, but tor the preservation of the
states greatest resource and industry.
More families are supported by the manu-
facture OF lumber than any other one line
of trade in the Northwest. If the timber
is destroyed by fire some of the families
will lose their support, and the life of the
industry will be shortened by the extent
of the lost supply.
The state government has demonstrat.
ed its appreciation of the importance Of
taking care of the forests by making
numerous laws for their protection, and
thus join in the general appeal to every
body to be careful how they handle fires.
The slightest carelessness may mean
the loss of thousands of dollars and the
support Of numerous families. The ap-
peal Of the lumbermen and Washington's
mainstay should not be unanswered.
The state laws fully guard this subject,
and are vigorous in their wording, but
ignorance and carelessness have in the
past almost nulified them. The laws up.
on the subject will be found in sections
BIS, 7l4S, 7149, 715O, end 1852 of the
state code.