Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-10-01
FOREST FIRE RiVACES
BRING HOME LESSON
May Be Instrumental in Merging
Efforts Toward More Adequate
Protection OF Timber.
GREATEST LOSS SINCE 1871.
Work Of Investigating Damage Is
Begun by Federal Government
Agent R. W. Pullman.

The recent disastrous forest fires,
probably the most serious in a quarter
Of a century, may be instrumental in
concentrating national, state and pri-
vate forces to provide more adequate
protection against flames which exast
an average annual toll of S25,000 900.
Not since the Peshtigo fire of 1871,
When between 1000 and 1900 persons
persisted and many millions of dollars
of property was wiped out in a few
hours, has the devastation of the flames
been so great as this year, when from
coast to coast the great forest areas
Of the North have been the constant
arena Of the struggle against this
dreaded enemy of the forest frontier.
Accurate returns of the property loss
has not yet been received in Washing
ton, but the work of investigation has
been begun. r. w. Pullman. special
agent of the United States forest SER
vice, in passing through Chicago on his
wa-- to the burnt regions of Minnesota,
told of the prolonged and thus far los
ing fight which is being waged to pre-
Tent the wholesale destruction which
yearly impoyerishes whole regions.
Loss Now More Conspicuous.
"Now that the timber of the country
is being reduced by lumbering," said
Mr.. Pullman, land people have awak-
ened to the fact that the forests do not
represent an in~eXhaustible supply, the
loss that is sustained in these fires
becomes the more conspicuous. 1t is
not alone the lumber owner that pays
the price. The loss of stumpage value
is but a small part of the damage to a
n~eighborhood.
'"The wages that would have been
earned by laborers in the lumber camps
and the produce that would have been
purchased to supply those camps, the
taxes that would have been devoted to
the construction of roads and other i'm
provements, and the fertility of the soil
that is destroyed, all bring the ulti-
mate cost of these fires to sums that
cannot be calculated.
From reports thus far received, the
fires of this summer have been the most
destructive since those of 1871. The
Peshtigo fire of October of that year
covered an area of 1000 square miles
in Wisconsin, entailing heavy loss of
life and property. Other fires in Michi-
gan that year consumed S10,0 100000 in
standing timber.
"One of the earliest was the great
Miramichi fire of 1925, starting sixty
miles above Newcastle, n. B., on the
Miramichi River, shortly after 0
Before 10 o'clock at night it was TWEEN
ty miles below Newcastle, in nine hours
destroying a belt eighty miles long and
twenty-five miles wide. In an area of
100000 acres every living thing was
destroyed.
"One of the most serious fires of re-
cent years was that which started near
Hinckley, Mimi, in September, 1904.
While the area covered was less than
in some. others, the loss of life was
heavy. Six towns Were destroyed, 500
people persisted and 1000 were left
destitute. 1t was said that this de-
struction was wholly unnecessary. For
many days before a high wind came
II drove it into uncomfortable fury
it had been burning slowly close to
Hinckley and coull have been put out.
THE initial cause of such widespread
destruction can be traced to two agen-
cies, the railroad and the campers.
Both are careless. In many timber
countries the roads are required to fit
their locomotives with spark arresters.
If this law We're more fully obeyed the
danger from this source would be re-
duced. The campers culpability is more
direct. A few buckets of water poured
over the remains of a camp fire will
effectively prevent trouble.
Forest Rangers an Economy.
'The economy of employing forest
rangers to keep constant watch, to pre-
vent fires by the influence of their
presence on those who frequent the
woods and to report blazes as soon as
they start, when they can easily be ex-
tinguished, is becoming understood
generally.
ut is not unlikely that there will be
more extensive cooperation between
all the parties interested, the owners
of the property and the State and ma
tional governments. as a result of the
serious CONGREGATIONS of this year. The
results of supervision in the national
forests has been demonstrated, where
losses, in spite of the dry season, have
been exceedingly small"