The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-21
ENORMOUS LOSSES
BY FOREST FIRES
Government Is Studying Ques-
ton Of Prevention
MILLIONS of DOLLARS LOST
Fire Fighting Forces Have Been Or
ganized and Every Attention VIII
Be Directed to Proper Meth
DDS of Fire Prevention.
MILLIONS Of DOLLARS LOST

Washington, September 2O,-(Special.) j.
The forest fires which have just laid
waste whole counties in Minnesota, Mich
igan and extended into Wisconsin. de-
stroying many towns and making thou
sands of persons homeless, have focused
the attention of both government ana
forest officers on the enormous losses OF
forest wealth which will be checked up
to the year 1908.
In the whole northern half of the United
States throughout the vast territory ex-
tending from coast to coast, the reported
destruction by forest fires has been ter
rife, and it is likely that the year will
go down as one of the worst in the last
quarter century. 1t seems that no part
of the country has escaped the work OF
the devastating flames. The latest disas-
ters In Minnesota, Michigan and Wiscon-
sin are the worst of the many that have
visited the lake states this year Other
sections have also suffered from forest
fires during the spring and summer
months, and the people of the Pacific
coast, the Rocky mountain and the New
England states, and Canada, have had
thorough, and in some cases, a contin-
uous experience in fire-fghting.
Officers In the United States forest SER
vice here say that 1t is doubtful If this
years actual losses from forest fires in
all parts of the country will ever be
known, but 1t is certain that they will
run up SO high in the millions that the
country will be startled when compila-
ton of statistics at the end of the sea-
son makes it possible to give even the
most conservative figures. Suffice 1t to
say, were all the timber burned up this
year in all parts of the country converted
into cash, it would provide for good
sized navy of first-class battleships.
The fires have done good in one way;
they have focused the peoples attention
on the seriousness of the forest fire prob
lem practical foresters say, and have
started a widespread movement in many
states to check them by adopting rational
systems of fire protection. Among think
ing people there has been awakened an
intense interest in throwing better pro-
lection around the forests, which grow
more important as a natural resource as
the timber supply dwindles.
The government has had lot of work
in the fire-fighting line on the national
forests, but serious as the fires have been
careful patrol and the organization of a
force to battle with the flames as soon
as discovered has held the losses down to
a point where they are utterly insignifi-
cant when one considers the fearful de-
structon which would have come about
had there been no protection.
Although the fire menace has been Sc
rious 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 for
est officers, will not be more than $4,000.
This sum Is small when it Is remembered
that II means fire protection for approx
imately 16S 100000 acres of national for
ests, less than two-tenths of a mill per
acre. Progressive state fire wardens and
forest officers, individuals and private
corporations having large timber hold
lngs have organized f1re-fighting forces
along much the same line as the govern
ment in many cases, and in this way
they have given protection to millions of
acres of timber which might have been
destroyed had it been left unprotected,