Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-11-20
How Do Forest Fires Start ?

What starts those forest fires This
question has been asked over and ovel
a gain this summer by readers OF the ac-
counts 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 for
gotten. 1t is true that perhaps one-half
to three-fourths of the forest fires do
begin as a result of the carelessness OF
some camper, or from sparks flying
from locomotives, but there are anum-
Der of things which set the woods a
fire.
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, aggregat-
ing about 16s,000,0O0 acres, and each
year the total area burned over, the
timberland burned over, the amount Of
timber destroyed and its value, the cost
of fighting fires, and the causes of fires
are carefully checked up. These re-
ports are made at the end of the calen-
dar year, and the announcements of this
years losses will therefore not be
known for more than two months.
Last years figures, however, give a
good idea of the things which cause
fires in forests. Of the 1856 fires dis
covered on the National Forests last
year, all of which were checked by the
rangers before they had burned over
fourteen hundredths of one per cent.
Q4-100 Of per cent? of the National
Forest area, campers caused 346, while
railroads followed next with 275; light
ming come next, with 176; donkey en-
gines used in numbering operations,
fourth, with 65; careless brush burning
by homesteaders clearing land, "a; fires
caused by incendiaries and those set by
herders and hunters, 80. For more
than 400 of the fires the cause is not
known. This is not strange when it
is remem bered that fire may smolder
for days, if the air is too thick to permit
the smoke to be seen at a distance be-
fore it breaks out when famed by a
wind so as to reveal its presence to the
watchful forest officer.
While campers caused more fires
than locomotives last year, there are
many seasons when the railroad hold
undisputed claim to first place. Forest
fires started by both are mostly unnec-
essary. If campers would exercise care
in starting camp fires and be sure that
they are extinguished before they are
left, and if the railroad companies
would use the most modern and effic-
ent spark arresters, it is reasonable to
think that the annual forest fires loss
could be reduced more than one-half.
Lightning ranks third among the
causes of fires, and of course, man has
no greater responsibility in this case
than to put the fire out as soon as pos
sible after discovery. Careless brush
burning by homesteaders and persons
clearing land is said to be the cause of
many of the fires which have this year,
particularly those which have swept
over the Lake States.
The ranger force on many of the Ma
tional Forests has been kept busy fight
ing fires which, if left to run uncheck-
ed, would have done incalculable dam
age. By quickening communication
between important points through the
construction of telephone lines, and
building roads and trails, the National
Forests have been made more accessi-
BILE during the past two years and fire
fighting has been greatly facilitated.