Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-08-04
ALL SETTLERS AND TRAVELLERS
SHOULD BE VERY CAREFUL
Immense Destruction Of Valuable Timber by
Forest Fires, as Well as Much Other
Property. The Pacific Lumber Trade Journ.
al Sounds Note Of Warning.

|
in the state of Washington destroyed
2,00O,00O,O00 feet OF standing timer,
burned up an immense amount of prop
erty and endangered the lives of many
ranchers and threatened the demolition
OF several small towns in the woods and
numerous saw and shngle mills. These
campers, defective spark arresters on
donkey engines and Hastings fires
spreaning. This caused the agitation in
the Pacific Lumber Trade Journal. of
| legislative enactment which resulted il
the passage by the Legislature during the
winter Of 1902-1903 OF what is popularity
known as the forest fire law" This
law provides for the patrolling of the
forest and the making OF county COM
missioners as ex-otficio fire wardens, the
commissioners seeing to it that the
ranchers could not burn clearings during
the closed seaso /, except when given
permission.
The wisdom of this law became APP
parent last year-the first year OF it's
ion The forest fire losses in 1908
looted up to less than 100000, and lie 8
| than 500 900 feet of standing timber were
burned. The county commissioners were
| vgiiant, aud two ranchers who allowed
Gle. ring fires 20 spread were arrested and
fined. This resulted in a general OBJ
servation of the law.
| 1t is pertinent to call the attention OF
the lnmbermen and loggers at this time
that their vigilance must not cease, and
that upon their cooperation with the
county commissioners depends the en-
forcement OF the law this year. From
present indications this is to be an ex-
ceedingly dry year. and only the utmost
precaution and vigilance will prevent a
recurrence OF the catastrophe two years
ago. Already there have been several
small fires, and they have been put out
with small loss, but the trying period
will be during Il e months of July, Au
gust and September-when the under
growth is dry and favorable for spread
OF fire. In The burning of slashings, for
in stance, the accumulation of vegetation
for centuries on the ground, will smould.
err for weeks, and suddenly burst into
flame, with the inevitable result that the
surrounding forests, especially where
there are many dead trees, will catch
fire and an Immense damage be done.
Therefore. too much care cannot be ex-
ercised by the logsers themselves. 1t is
the duty, also, OF the loggers, millmen
and others, to see that the ranchers in
their vicinity do not st ,rt clearing fires
without permission of the county COM
mssioners. Campers and others hunt.
ing or fishing along the streams should
be warned by the timber owners against
saving camp fires burning. Every
camper should be taught to extinguish
their camp fires before leaving.
The general public should be educated
as to the danger of forest fires. The
valuation OF standing timber in the
states OF Washington and Oregon is not
far from $3)0,000,000, and the loss of
this great wealth by carelessness is moth
ing short OF criminal. There is another
side to it, also. The building OF large
number OF mills within the past four
years, has opened great bodies OF timber,
heretofore inaccessible, AMI the cutting
OF a hole in the forest leaves great
amount of debris and dead tim Der, which
in the dry season become the starting
place for fires. In many instances the
logging opera ions are near the cities,
and if perchance forest fire is started
aad gets beyond control villages and
cities will be swept away and thousands
Of lives lost. One can only recall the
dreadful holocausts in Northern Mime
and the great fires in Michigan ten years
ago-in each instance where hundreds of
ives were lost and millions of property
destroyed. hese fires were started in
loggedoH lands and clearings, and once
started nothing could be done to head
them off. SO it will be in this state if
precautions are not taken. There is
hardly town on the Great Northern
and Northern Pacific, in Western Wash
ington, that is not in danger Of destruc
ton by the spread of forest fires, and it
is doubtful if the large cities could be
saved if fire of the nature of the one in
Northern Minnesota several years ago
would be allowed to obtain start.
This matter should be given the most
serious attention by the people OF the
state of Washington. 1t is one that
affects their welfare as much as it does
the lumbermen, and the press and COM
mercial bodies should start an educa-
tional campaign against forest fires. As
far as the lumbermen are concerned
there are 100000 people who obtain a
livelihood from lumber operations, and
these are entitled to protection against