Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-01
FOREST FIRES
Commissioner Makes Report
Of Damage Done by Them.
Shows That There Was a Loss Of
More Than Million Dollars.
About Per Cent. of Wooded Area Of
State Burned Over.

at last completed ana made public q
report of the damages to timber land
by the forest fires of last June This
report is in the form of bulletin and
makes a pamphlet of 20 printed pages.
1t contains a complete tabulated list
of all the fires which occurred during
the days when it seemed that all of
the timber land of Northern Maine
must be destroyed. This tabulation is
made by counties and gives the acre
age burned over and the amount of
damage sustained from eoch fire. In
this way it is very valuable and is the
first accurate statement of the damage
which was done to the States timber
land.
In addition to these tables there are
quotations from the law for the pro-
lection of forests and providing for the
hiring of competent fire wardens to pa
troll the forests and to look after fires,
together with a full list of these war
dens.
By the report it is shown that there
were z97 fires during the drouth, which
burned over 294,142 acres of timber
land about per cent. of wooded area
of the State, doing damage to the
amount OIL Sl,U5OooU
The substance of the report follows:
The past spring has been history
making epoch in the way of extreme
drcuth, which extended over several
weeks with scarcely a drop of rain.
| While all interests suffered, none We're
| in more jeopardy than the vast tim
| berlands of the State. The oldest in
| habitants fail to recall so long pc
| riod of drouth or time when so many
acres of forest land were in imminent
| danger of being swept by flames.
While the are burned over may not
equal that of the forest fire which
swept many townships in Northern
Maine in October, 1925. and oft times
| referred to as the Miramichi fire, on
account of it's occurring on the same
date as that famous New Brunswick
conhagration, the destruction is more
widely spread as to locality Hundreds
of fires seemed to spring up similtane-
ously in all sections of the State and
burned fiercely until checked by the
efforts of fire wardens and thousands
of men put on by the State, timber
land owners and town officials.
| The condition of 1.-THE forests were
| DEl1tit loI just sum III CO 90 OSNoi w.
| The Sediment left after the disap-
pearance of the winters snow. together
| with the dried leaves and underbrush
made a litter which a very slight spark
would ignite. Not only was the sur
face extremely dry. but the ground
| from the lack of rain burned almost as
readily as peat, making it difficult to
extinguish a fire which would shoulder
for days after the blaze was apparent
~ extinguished on,it the exterior.
The extreme dryness will perhaps be
| better illustrated by the appended ta-
| bic showing the rain fall from April
8, to June 8. as recorded at the Maine
Agricultural Experiment Station at
Orono:
Amount recorded April 8, So inches
Amount recorded April II, 10 inches
Amount recorded April 20, .06 inches.
Amount recorded May 5. .46 inches
Amount recorded May 10, .25 inches.
Amount recorded May u, .02 inches.
| Amount recorded June 9, "a inches.
1t will be seen that the total precipl-
tation from April to April So month
when considerable rain is expected,
and ordinarily falls, was only rs i'll
ches. For May only .73 of an inch
fell and from May q to June 9, there
was not drop. On the latter date the
long drouth was broken by fall of
"a of an inch followd in a few days
by more rain causing the people all
over the State to rejoice. None was
more relieved, however, than the tim
berland owners and those interested in
the great numbering interests of the
| ~ the aytin0I1jShmp
of the forest fires, and the starting of
a green growth in the woods which
would insure safety, at least until
fall.
Although many fires were contin-
ually breaking out they were quite
readily extinguished, and all were held
under contsol until the heavy gale of
June 8. On that date a heavy WIND
commenced blowing from the north
west tanning the small fires into fierce
| CONGREGATIONS until it seemed as II all
the wooded area in the fire districts was
doomed. The whole State was enVei-
oped in smoke and on the following
day so dense was the smoke that arti-
fetal light had to be resorted to in Of
Il fees and residences early in the after
noon and bv 6 O'Clock it was as dark
as night The wind, however, had
abated and the wardens and crews
lighting the fires once more got the
flames under control. but not until
much valuable timberland had been
burned over. Small fires were report
ed here and there after the heavy gale
until June 8, when the 'all out was
sounded in the wayiof most welcome
heavy rain extending over every
county.
The localities suffering the most were
along townships considerably settled
and tracts easily accessible. The I'M
inhabited portions of the State, nota-
bly Northern Aroostook. Penobscot
and Somerset escaped with very little
damage.
The land owners have showed a
Willingness to cooperate with the State
by bearing a portion of the expense of
fichting the fires. In number OF in
stances crews were taken from the
drives and from mills. the men re-
ceiving their pay of 50 to 81 per day,
from the lumbermen, but only 10 cents
-, 1,o,,, +ha amount fixed by law, was