Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-28
WOODLAND DESTRUCTION.
How Do Forest Fires Start Is . Ques-
 tion Often Asked.


 What starts these forest fires? This question has been asked over and over again this summer by readers of the accounts of the destructive fires which have been raging in all parts of the country.
 Campers and locomotives, Is the us- ual answer. Many of the other things which start blazes in the forest are forgotten. It is true that perhaps one-half to three-fourths of the for est fires do begin as a result of the carelessness of some camper, or from sparks flying from locomotives, but there are number of things which set the woods afire.
 A complete report of forest fires on the private forests of the country and their causes Is not kept by anyone. Uncle Sam, however, Is most careful to account for the damage done by the blazes on his timber land under forest administration, aggregating about 16s,000,000 acres and each year the total area of timber destroy ed and its value, the cost of fighting fires, and the causes of fires are care- fully checked up. These reports are made at the end of the calendar year, and the announcement of this years losses will therefore not be known foi more than two months.
 Last years figures, however, give a good idea of the things which cause fires in forests. Of the 1865 fires discovered on the national forests last year. all of which were checked by the rangers before they had burn ed over fourteen hundredths of one per cent (14.100 of 1 per cent Of the national forest area, campers caused 346, while railroads followed next with 273; lightning came next with 176; donkey engines used in numbering operations fourth, with 65; careless brush burning by home steaders clearing land, 34; fires caused by incendiaries and those set by herders and hunters, 30. For more than 400 of the fires the cause Is not known. This Is not strange when it is remembered that fire may smolder for days if the air is too thick to permit the smoke to be seen at a distance before it breaks out when famed by wind so as to re- veal its presence to the watchful forest officer. While campers caused more fires than locomotives last year. there are many seasons when the railroads hold undisputed claim to first place. Forest fires started by both are most ly unnecessary. If campers would ex- ercise care in starting camp fires and be sure that they are extinguished be- fore they left, and if the railroad companies would use the most mod ern and efficient spark arresters, it is reasonable to think that the annual forest fire loss could be reduced more than one-half. Lightning ranks third among the causes of fires, and of course, man has no greater re- sponsibility in this case than to put the fire out as soon as possible after discovery. Careless brush burning by homesteaders and persons clearing land is said to be the cause of many of the fires which have started this year, particularly those which have swept over the lake states.
 The ranger force on many of the national forests have been kept busy lighting fires which, if left to burn unchecked, would have done incal- culable damage. By quickening Communication between important points through the construction of telephone lines, and building roads and trails, the national forests have been made more accessible during the past two years and fire fighting has been greatly facilitated.