East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-06-06

ly located within two important forest
reserves the Wenaha and the Blue
mountains-the care and protection of
the reserves by the government will
be watched with interest by Umatilla
county people. The following fire
fighting circular has just been issued
by the forestry department.: ..
The worst enemy of the forests is
fire. To combat II the forest service
maintains fire-fighting system.
How effective is this system is shown
by the following figures for the last
two years:
For the year ending January 1,
1905: Total area OF reserves, 5S,05s,-
054; area burned over. sss,s72: 0.6s
per cent. ~ nss
For the year ending January 1,
1906: Total area of the reserves, 92,-
741,0s1 acres; burned over, 152.557;
o.1e per cent.
In other words. while the reserve
area has almost doubled. the burned
area has been reduced by more than
one-half, and the percentage Of area
burned has been reduced by more
than three-fourths.
Effective Fire Fighting.
Only since February 1, 1905, have
the reserves been under the admins
tration of the forest service. This re-
duction is therefore the showing of
the first IL months of administration
of government foresters. The work.
ing out of a system Of effective con-
troll of fire on the reserves is still
in its infancy. TOO much fire" is still
the judgment Of the forester on the
situation.
OF course, bad seasons play large
part in determining the fire losses Of
the year. Even with the best possible
system OF protection there are bound
to be wide fluctuations between indi-
vidual wears. But il is believed that
under expert care the injury to the
national forests can be rapidly and
permanently cut down. The direct
loss from forest fires in the United
States runs annually into many mil
lions of dollars. while the indirect loss
is beyond estimate.
In developing its system of protec-
ton the forest service availed itself
OF past experience, home and foreign.
The reserve officers-rorest guards,
assistant forest rangers, deputy forest
rangers. forest rangers, deputy forest
supervisors and forest supervisors
are under the direct supervision of
the office Of the service at Washing
ton, guided by a definite code of in
structions; but large authority. with
corresponding responsibility. is placed
upon the local officers themselves.
Civil Service Employees.
All except the forest guards are
civil service employees. and the SAL
aries paid range from 1920 to $500
a year. Each supervisor is RESPONSE
BILE for the patrol of his reserve and
is expected to devise systems best
suited to his locality. Already, in the
brief period since the organization of
this system, a high standard of eff
cheney has been developed, and n
much higher is expected.
A constant lookout for fires is kept
from ridge trails and commanding
points during the danger season. and
the reserves are patrolled as effic-
iently as possible with the force avail
able. Roads. trails and fire lines are
constructed. affording means of rapid
communication and points of vantage
at which to arrest the progress of a
fire, and telephone lines are being run
to help give warning and summon as
sistance.
Every forest supervisor is authoriz-
ed, in person or through a subordi-
nate, to hire temporary men. purchase
material and supplies, and pay for
their transportation from place to
pdace to extinguish a fire. When the
cost is likely to exceed 5000 the su-
pervisor telegraphs the forester for
authority to incur the additional ex-
pense.
Must Report Monthly.
Forest rangers are required to re-
port monthly to the supervisor re-
garding all fires occurring in their ris-
tricts. These reports cover the loca-
tion, damage done, probable cause. by
whom the fire was discovered, wher
discovered, when brought to the no.
tice of the forest officer, when the
work Of fighting the fire was beKur
and finished, how many extra mer
were employed, and cost of fire. Al
the end of the year the supervisor
submits an annual fire report to tht
Washington office.
During the calendar year Of 1905
36 Of the 90 reserves escaped fire
altogether. On the remaining 81
areas were burned over ranging from
/ to 1908 acres (nofthern division o
the Sierra reserve) and amounting t,
279,592 acres. The largest amount o
timber was destroyed en- the Levi
and Clark reserve, (southern division
-42,sss,oeo board feet, The total 70
nj! reserves was 152,55f 900 boari fee
with value of s1o1.2s2.. but tn
greatest loss in money value was s27,
320 on the Priest river reserve. Tn
total cost of extra labor and supple
for fire fighting was $12,573.52. ti