The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-10-30
How Do Forest Fires Start?

What starts these forest fires?
This question has been asked over
amt "vrr again this summer By read
"r> OF the accounts Of ihc destructive
fires which have been raging in all
parts Of the country.
Campers and locomotives, is the
usual answer. Many Of the othef
things which start blazcs in the For
est are forgotten. Ii is true that per-
laps onc-half to three !oarii,s Of the
Forest fires do begin rs result Of
the carelcssncss of some camper, or
from sparks flying from locomotives,
but there are Il number Of thing;
which set the woods afire
y complete report Of forest fires
on the private forests Of the country
and their causes is not kept by any
one. Uncle Sam, however, is most
careful to account for The damage
done by the blazcs on his timbcrland
under forest administration, aggrc-
eating about 1GS.000,0O0 acres. and
each year the total area burned over,
he timbcrland burned over. the
amount Of timber destroyed and its
value. The cost Of fighting fires, and
he causes Of fires arc carefully
checked mp. These reports arc made
al the end Of the calendar year, and
the announcement Of this years
losses will therefore not be known
for more than two months.
Last years figures. however, rive
good idea Of the things which
cause fires in forests. Of the 1853
tires discovered on the National For
cst> last year. all Of which were
rhrckr'l by tn" rangers before they
hat burned ovcr fourteen hundrcthS
"i ON" per cent Nl-l0n Of | per cent?
"f The National Forest area. campers
caused BIG. while railroads Followed
with 211I: li-lltnin" came next. with
! 80: d"nli"N engines used in lumber.
IN" operations. fourth. with G5: care
lr;; brush burnin" by homcstcadcrs
clearing land, 81: fires caused bv in
and hunters, 80. For more than 400
Of the fires The cause is not known.
! Tins l. not strange when il is rcmcm-
! h"rrd that Il fire may Smnldnr for
days. If the air is too thick +" permit
the smoke 10 be seen nj distance
hct"r" il breaks "ui when Tanned bv
wind :" rs to reveal lis presence
TO the watchful forest officer.
Nhllr campers caused more fires
! than locomotives last year. there are
many seasons when the railroads hold
unllSputcd claim to first place. For
est fires started by both are mostly
unnecessary. IT campers would en-
crrlsc care i'll starting camp fires
and be sure that they are cxtinguish-
rd before they are left, and if the
railroad companies would use the
most modern and efficient spark ar
resterS. it is reasonable to think that
the annual forest fire loss could be
reduced more than one-half Light
min" ranks third among the causes
Of fires. and Of course. man has no
greater responsibility in this case
han TO pnt the fire out as soon as
possible after discovery. Careless
brush burning by homcsteadcrs and
persons clearing land is said to be
I he 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 has been kept busy
fighting fires which. if left to run
unchecked. would have done incalcul-
able damage. BY quickcning com
municalion between important points
through the construction Of telephone
lines, and building roads and trials,
the National Forests have been made
more accessible during the past two
years and fire fighting has been
greatly facilitated.