The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-19
WOULD CHECK
BIG BLAzES
Warning to Fire-Buss
on Government
Land.

Territorial Forester Hosmer is at
present taking step which he hopes
will greatly diminish the number of
destructive forest fires which every
hot season ravage the waste and forest
lands of the territory, doing incalcula-
BILE damage to trees and constantly
menacing life and property.
Prof Hosmer has had three thousand
warning notices printed on strong cloth
material which will be distributed all
over the territory through the medi-
ums of the various district foresters
and district fire wardens. This is in
line with what is being done in many
|of the States.
Hawaiian, Portuguese and japanese, so
that pretty nearly whoever runs OF
walks may read and take heed. There
is little doubt that forest fires are in
nearly every case caused by careless
ness, such as reckless burning of brush
or the casual spurning of the flag end
of a cigarette.
The notice sets forth that:
"All persons are warned not to set
fires on Government forest land.
Fires for clearing land near a
forest must be started during dry times
only with the permission of the dis
trict fire warden.
Fires for burning brush near for
est must be watched by competent
persons until the fire is completely ex-
tinguished.
Fires for smoking out bees are pro-
hibited on Government forest land
ed against allowing fires to start from
cigars, pipes and cigarettes.
Especial care should be taken that
lighted matches are extinguished be-
fore they are thrown down.
''All persons are requested to report
Immediately any cases which come to
their knowledge of injury to wood
land arising from a violation Of these
rules"
The notice is issued by order of the
Board Of Commissioners of Agricul-
ture and Forestry and is signed by
Ralph S. HOsmer, superintendent of
Forestry and Chief Fire Warden.
Affixed to the above rules are the
following extracts from Act II of the
Session Laws of the Territory Of Ha-
wall of 1905:
Sec. l, Forest Fire Service. It shall
be the duty of the Board of Agricul-
ture and Forestry to take measures for
the prevention, control and extinguish-
ment of forest fires within the Terri
tory.
Sec. 5. Setting Fires. Every person
who wilfully, maliciously ors negligent
ly sets on fire or causes and procures
to be set on fire any woods, brush.
prairies, grass, grain or stubble on any
lands not owned, leased or controlled
by him; and every person who will
fully, maliciously or negligently allows
a fire to escape from land owned, leas-
ed or controlled by him whereby any
of another is injured or de-
stroyed, and every person who acct
dentally sets or causes to be set any
fire on land not owned, leased or con-
trolled by him, which spreads to
the land of another, and allows said
fire to escape from his control without
using every effort to extinguish it,
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemean-
or and liable to a fine of not less than
SIS nor more than $4,000. Setting such
fires or causing or procuring them to
be set or allowing them to escape shall
be prima facie proof Of wilfulness,
ma or neg,isen under this section;
provided that nothing herein contain
ed shall apply to person who, in good
faith, sets a back fire to check a fire
that is already burning.
Sec 6. Fires to Clear Land. In times
and localities of particular fire danger, |
the Chief Fire Warden may cause a |
warming to be issued that during a |
specified time fires to clear land, in |
Guiding the burning of fallows, stumps, |
ogs. brush, dry grass Or fallen timber !
,haIfEe started. unless the written perl
mission of the District Fire Warden of |
he district in which the fire is set has |
been first obtained. Such fires shall |
lot be started during a heavy wind or
Without sufficient help present to con-
roll the same and the fire shall be |
watched by the person setting the
same. or by competent agents of his,