Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-16
FIRE WARDENs
WOULD AVOID
CONGREGATIONS
Officials to Redouble
Vigilance
Unnecessary Destruction of Valuable
Forests Easily Obvated If Camp
ers and Ranchers Will Use
Common Sense

of Southern California from the usuai
ravages Of the summer camper anu
his III advised methods OF CONSTRUCTING
and locating camp.
Fire. the worst enemy of California
natural playground, will be tougnI ae
every turning point, but 1t Is MI. Mol
cams plan to utilize the old saying
tIat an ounce of prevention Is worth
q mound of cure, and act accorulnsly;
The real camping season generany
onens about the middle of this month
or the first of July, and from then on
until we'll into September the dangers
n forest and mountain are easily ap-
parent. City bred as they. usually are,
campers are unduly careless IN tneis
IGNORANCE Of smoldering camp nres anu
cigar and cigarette stumps, and even
the best of intentions sometlHes iaSe
a disastrous ending
In order to warn the unin1tlateo, as
we'll as to inform them of the penaltles
incurred by carelessness and lack Oh
Knowledge the forestry bureau Is dis-
+ributing in wholesale quantities tne
forest laws of California for the year
1907, At every important entering place
in the mountains the guides ana rang
ers will be armed with the pampniets'
and TO each camper copy will be
presented
Fires Are Avoidable
rrhese little booklets include both the
ruias for the prevention of forest fires
and also the laws of the state IN re-
gard to forests The significance or a
mountain fire as connected with tne
water and game supply OF the s'a.e
&c clearly set forth, and only by the
most f1agrant cases of carelessness Can
fires be started.
According to the records OF the local
office most of the forest nres WhiSn
have done so much to devastate tne
fine woodland of Southern CALIFORNIA
have almost always been unnecessary
and usually result from failure TO real
ize that carelessness will be folioWeu
hv distress and injury to others. Inc
resident or traveller in forest regions
who uses due diligence In extlngulsniiis
his camp fires, or other fires tnat ne
NAV come upon, contributes much 10
tbe deveIoprnent of the country and
the general welfare of wild animals
and game birds.
Those who do not use ordinary care
on their own camping ground. or tnose
who never go out of their way 10 eX-
tineuish a blaze, are responsible LOT
much. as oftentimes fires spread oveI
Great deal of territory, and in addltion
to wiping out the forest sometimes de-
stroy farm houses and crops in the
line of their progress.
Will Punish Offenders
w. B. Morgan, who has charge OF
the Southern California district of pub
lie forest land. is emphatic on the sub
iect of punishment for the Offenders.
ssWe will do all we can to obtain q
conviction where cases of gross care.
Iessness are called to our attention"
said Mr.. Morgan. "In most instances
where a large fire is started the cause
can be traced to lack of care on tne
part of those at whose camp the nre
started. If we can do anything to
prevent it no recurrence of this VIII
he recorded this year. and the deputies
and rangers will be unusually alert IN
their efforts to capture Offenders.
with ordinary precautions forest
fires are practically impossible, but
once they are started no small amount
of labor and expenditure is expended
before thew are extinguished Some of
the grandest and most beautiful spots
in California's preserves have been
wined out in a single day because some
camper failed to act with common
sense. and left his fire where the wind
spread it into the adjoining under
brush or wooded country.
"Our attention is often called to cases
where some rancher or settler starts
a fire in the dry brush in order to clear
off his place. We ire going to keep
vigilant watch, and any time an oc-
cllrrence of this kind is noted, where
permission has not been obtained, an
arrest and prosecution will result. Per-
rnits for clearing land can be obtained
from any ranger or deputy warden,
where, the case in his opinion is sucn
that permission can be safely granted,
SO anyone clearing land need not suffer
if they will follow the law.
Are Liable to Civil Action
"One thing that the general public
should know, and that is their liability
70 he called on at any time to fight
Are The state law provides that citi-
zens may be impressed into service
when and wherever needed to protect
the forest. his services to be paid for
bv the county in which the danger is
located.
"It is the district attorneys duty to
prosecute all cases of willful or care
less ignition brought to his attention,
and as Captain Fredericks is lover
of nature himself you may rest assured
that he will do all in his power -
aid u.s."
alties incurred any person who is con-
victed of causing forest fire through
his own carelessness is liable in civil
action for the damage done to any pri-
waite properly, NOT only III IIlO diliOuhI
actually damaged, but for twice the
sum. They are also liable to the state
or county for the full amount expended
in extinguishing the flames. Corpora
tions and firms are liable in the same
way.
Violations Are Mlsdemeanors
Not alone are citizens taking chances
by their wanton actions but fire war
dens to whose attention these acts are
called and who fail to arrest the guilty
parties when occasion offers and lay
the proper information before the dis
trict attorney may be arrested and
fined anywhere from $40 to $3.50, to-
gether with an imprisonment ranging
from ten days to three months.
Using any donkey engine or locomo-
tive or boiler from which sparks can
fly near wooded hills or heavily brushed
lands may cause the arrest of the op-
orator. Engines equipped with special
spark retainers or those using oil as
fuel are permitted, but those that are
otherwise must operate with due dill
gence or else fire will result.
Cutting and injuring trees and grow
ing timber by any person is also classed
as a misdemeanor, as well as taking
timber from government lands without
proper authority Campers can at all
times take such wood as is actually