The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-04-23


ture designed to prevent forest fires
makes the state land commissioner ex-
officio state forest fire warden and
boards of county commissioners county
boards of deputy fire wardens and
gives them power to appoint such dep
uty fire wardens as they may deem
necessary, prescribe the territory to be
patrolled by them and fix their COM
pensation.
Following are the most important
sections of the act:
Section 6. 1t shall be the duty of all
boards of deputy forest fire wardens to
fix each year in timber counties, for
their respective counties, close season
during which no person shall burn any
slashing or chopping without first OBJ
tanning permission i'm writing from the
county board or its duly appointed
representative. Such permission shall
he given only upon compliance with
such regulations as the board may pre-
scribe, one of which regulations shall
be notice to all owners or tenants of
adjoining lands residing thereon, CIV
ing the time and place of the proposed
burning.
Sec. 7. During the close season when
timber lands are IN danger from fire
the deputy fire wardens shall put out,
or endeavor to put out, or stop the
spreading of any forest fires in theft re-
spective districts. When any person
shall have obtained permission from
the county board of forest fire wardens
to burn clearing or slashlng made for
the purpose of clearing land, he may
apply to the deputy fire warden or per-
sons acting as such, who shall furnish
him with sufficient number of men
to aid him in keeping the fire from
spreading. Said men shall be detailed
only till such time as the party burn
ing may be able to keep the fire in con-
troll himself
Sec. s. In addition to the regular
publication of the county commission
ers' proceedings, the county commits
sioners, acting as such board, shall
| cause to be posted in all forest areas
notices of warning, giving the date of
the close season and all rules made by
such board for the presentations of for
ests. All expenses incurred by coun-
ties in carrying out these provisions
shall be paid as other county current
expenses are paid.
Section provides for patrolling the
districts by deputies, posting notices,
warning campers or other users Of fires,
impressing help to stop confiagratiOns
and arresting and prosecuting mallc-
ious offenders. Any person refusing
to render assistance when called upon
by any warden or patrolman is pun
ishable by a fine of not less than $5 nor
more than $40, and any person who
willfully or heedlessly defaces, destroys
or removes any official warning, pla-
card or notice is punishable by fine
not exceeding 500, or by imprison-
ment in the county Jail not exceeding
three months.
Section 10 provides penalties for caus-
ing the destruction of property by care
lessly or maliciously setting or leaving
any fire, and in addition for the collec-
ton of damages in civil suit Penalties
are also fixed for setting fires during
the close season or causing fires by
throwing away lighted cigars, matches,
by use of fire arms or in any other
manner,
Sec. II. Nothing in this act shall be
construed to prevent any person own
ing land, or person or persons employ.
ed by him, from burning stumps, logs,
drift or brush heaps when such are
burned in small quantities, isolated
from other infiammaole material, un-
der personal supervision, and such
other safeguards as shall prevent such
fire from spreading.