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
and over again this summer by read
erS Of the accounts Of the destructive
fires which have been raging ii all
parts Of the country:
Campers and locomotives, is the
usual answer. Many Of the other
things which start blazes in the for
est are forgotten. It is true that per-
haps one-half to three! !o;irthS Of the
f,rest fires do begin as 4 result C
fine carelessness of some camper, or
from sparks flying from locomotives,
but there are a number Of things
which set the woods afire.
A 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 blazes on his timberland
under forest administration, aggre-
eating about 168,O0O,00O 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 reports are made
at 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, give
good idea Of the things which
cause fires in forests. Of the 1856
fires discovered on the National For
ests last year. all of which were
checked by the rangers before they
had burned over fourteen hundreths
Of one per cent (14-1O0 Of 1 per cent?
Of the National Forest area, campers
caused 346, while railroads followed
with 273: lightning came next. with
Us; donkey engines used in lumber
ing operations, fourth, with 65; care
less brush burning by homesteaders
clearing land, "a: fires caused by in
cendiaries and those set by herders
and hunters, 80. For moro than 4OO
Of the fires the cause is not known.
This is not strange when it is remem-
bered that a fire may smolder for
days, if the air is too thick to permit
the smoke to be seen at a distance
before it breaks ont 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 railroads hold
undisputed claim to first place. For
est fires started by both are mostly
unnecessary. If campers would ex-
ercise care in starting camp fires
and be sure that they are extinguish-
ed before they are left, and if the
railroad companies would use the
most modern and efficient spark ar
rosters, it is reasonable to think that
the annual forest fire loss could be
reduced more than one-half. Light
ming 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
possible after discovery. Careless
brush burning by homesteaders and
persons clearing land is said to be
the. 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 quickening COM
munication 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.