Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-09-12
LOSS BY FOREST FIRES.

Tue forest fires which have jast laiC
waste whole counties in MiDnesots,
Michigan and extended into Wisconsin,
destroying many towns and making
thousands of persons homeless, have
focused the sttsntion OF both govern
meDt and ct tie forest officers on the
enormous losses of forest wealth which
will be checked up to The year 1908.
In the Wh)le nCrhern half of the
United States throughout the vast ter
ritory extending from coast t. coast, the
repoi ted destruction by forest fires has
been terrific and it is likely that the
wear will go down IS one of the worst
10 the last quarter century. 1t seems
that no part OF The country has escaped
the work of the devastating f'mes.
The latest disasters in Minnesota, Mich
igan, and Wisconsin are the wor of the
many that have visited the lake States
this year. Oher sections have also SUI
iereo from forest fires during the spring
and summer months, and the people Of
the Pacific coast, the Rocky Modntsin
and the New England States, and Osn-
ada have had thorough, and in some
cases, continuous experience 10 fire
fighting.
Officers 10 the United Stst,s forest
service say thst it is doubtful II
this years actual losses from forest frsS
in all parts of the country will evsr be
known, but 1t Is certain that they will
run up 30 high in the millions that the
country will be startled when 8 compila-
tion of statistics at the end Of tie season
makes it possible 10 give even the most
conservative figures. Suffice it to cay,
were all the timber burned up this yesr
in all parts of the country converted iu-
10 cash, it could provide for good sizsd
navy OF first-clsss bsltlesbips.
The fires have done good In one way;
they have focused the peoples attention
on the striousness of the forest FIRE prob.
lem, practical foresters say, snd havf
ct rted a widespread movement in many
states to check them by adopting rationsl
systems of fire protsciion. Among
thinking people there has oeen awakened
an intense interest In throwing better
protection around the fores.s, which |
grow more impoitlnt IS natural re.
source as the timber supply dwiDdles.
The government has had lot of work |
in The fire fighting line on the national
foie,ts, but serious IS the fires have
been, careful pst'ol and the organization |
of force to battle with the flames as
soon ss discovered has held the losses |
down to a point where they are utterly |
when one considers the |
fearful destruction which would have |
come about had there been no protec-
ton.
Although the fire menace has been i
striOus in all sections, officers of the /
forest service estimate that the total cost
Of the forest fires on the national forests
for the season, exclusive of the salaries
of forest officers, will not be more than
$50, 900. This SUN is small when it is
that it means fire protection
for approximately 16S,000,00O acres
of nstioDsl forests, less than two
tenths of mile per acre. Progressive
state fire wardens and forest officers, in-
dividuals and private corporations hav-
ing large timber holdir gs have organized
fire lighting fOrces along much the same
line as the government 10 many cases,
and in this way they have given protec-
ton to millions of acres OF timber which
might have been destroyed had it been
left unprotected.