Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-10-01
United States Government Taking
Steps to Prevent Forest Fires
The FIRE PATROL SYSTEM.
How Picked Rangers and Guards are
STANDARDIZATION OF Acees Of Tim
Der Now Protected.

NOtIlnR COulQ DctlcI SdH the dltSn-
ton of thinking people TO the necessity
for the preservation of our natural re-
sources than the great forest fires which
have been so widely distributed through
out the country and have played such
havoc this summer Ii is doubtful if the
losses for the year 1908 will ever be fully
known, but a conservative estimate by
Dr. w. ]. McGee, erosion expert United
States department of agriculture, places
the aggregate loss in all parts of the
country during these months Of conhag-
ration at $l,000.000 a day
In nearly every instance, probably in
every instance. these devastating fires
might have been prevented if the vari-
Gus states had provided an adequate
number of men to patrol the woods and
arrest all such fires in its incipiency, and
if lumbermen and other users of the
forest were careful 10 dispose of brush
after logging so as to prevent the spread
of fires
Uncle Sam has had a lot Of work to
do on his national forests in the fire.
fighting line this year, but his work has
shown good results. Exclusive of the
salaries of forest officers, the work of
putting down fires on the national for
ests for the year has cost the govern
ment $30000 This means protecting
approximately l6S0OO,00O acres. The
value OF the timber destroyed will not
be known until the fire reports are made
at the end of the wear. though it is esti-
mated that it will be larger than last
year But it will be insignificant when
compared with the appalling FIRE losses
outside of the national forests on unpro-
tected areas, or with the destruction
which would have come to the timber in
the national forests had they not been
protected.
These results have come through the
increased efficiency of fire patrol and
methods of fighting FIRE, and through the
cooperation of settlers and users of for
ests who understand that the forests are
their property, and that loss from fire
is a personal one BY posting FIRE no
tees and giving advice the government
has secured cooperation from the out
side, which may be said to be as inn
portant an agency in reducing the loss
from forest fires as is the perfection of
machinery for fighting these fires.
After timber is cut, the regulations re-
ouire brush to be compaetfy piled at
safe distance from living trees. Some
times this brush is burned under diree-
ton of forest officer; but even If IT IS
allowed to stand. no FIRE that starts hnds
fuel by which it can spread.
The national forests are constantly
patrolled by a picked force OF rangers
and guards. The present summer force
of such rangers and guards, whose main
duty is fire patrol, is 1851 men; the av-
eraqe area that each is required to pro-
tect is l21,506 acres II is fully under
stood that this area is altogether too
large. and Just as soon as funds are
available to permit of the employment
of a larger force of men the area will
be reduced.
In order to provide rapid means OF
travel between the various parts OF the
national forests and to facilitate the
massing of large forces of men to fight
fire. as we'll as to furnish vantage points
from which the fires may be fought sue
cessfully 100 miles of road and $500
miles of trail were built during the last
fiscal year. In several cases hre-breaks
from l6 to 100 feet in width have been
constructed, from which all timber and
infammable material is removed, to fur
nish obstacles to the spread of fire, or
straight lines Of defense in fighting the
fire once started. Several miles OF such
fire-breaks now exist on the national
forests in southern California. where il
is especially important that the forest
cover on the watersheds of important
irrigation streams be protected.
Telephone lines have been constructed
connecting ranger stations with the
headquarters of the forest, in order that
fires may be reported and promptly ex-
tinguished. During the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1908, $500 miles of tele-
phone line were constructed in the ma
tional forests.
just as rapidly as possible, each ma
tional forest is supplied with shovels,
axes and other tools. which are distrib-
uted over the forests and cabins, and
tool boxes are placed at points where
there is the greatest danger of fire, and
where they can be easily reached by
trail. Field glasses are also furnished,
since their use in discovering small fires
at considerable distance has proved
very helpful
Upon the basis OF the forest service
experience on the national forests on