The Somerset reporter., 1908-10-29
How Do Forest Fires Start?

What starts these forest fires? This
question has been asked over aud
over again this summer by readers of
the accounts of the destructive fires
which have been raging in all parts of
the country.
Campers and locomotives, is the
usual answer. Many of the other
things which start blazes in the forest
are forgotten. 1t is true that per-
haps one half to three fourths of the
forest fires do begin as result of the
carelessness of some camper, or from
sparks flying from locomotives, but
there are 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 anyone.
Uncle Sam, however, is most careful
to account for the damage done by
the blazes on his timberland under
forest administration, aggregating
about 1853, 900, 900 acres, and each year
the total area burned over, the tim
berland burned over, the amount of
timber destroyed and it's value, the
cost of fighting fires, and the causes
Of 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 a
good idea of the things which cause
fires in forests. OF the 1856 fires dis
covered on the National Forests last
year, all of which were checked by
the rangers before they had burned
over fourteen hundredths of one per
cent. (14-1s0 of per cent of the Ma
tional Forest area, campers caused
346, while railroads followed next
with 273; lightning came next, with
176; donkey engines used in lumber
ing operations, fourth, with IS; care
less brush burning by homesteaders
clearing land, 81; fires caused by in
cendiaries and those set by herd RS
and hunters, 30. For more than 400
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 ia too thick to permit
the smoke to be seen at distance be-
fore it breaks out when famed by a
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
Forest fires started by both are most
ly unnecessary. If campers would
exercise 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 re :
duced more than onehalf. 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. Care less
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 lett to run un-
checked, would have done incalcul-
able damage. By quickening COM
munication between important points
through the construction of telephone
lines, and building roads and trails,
the National Forests have made more
accessible during the past two years
and fire fighting has been greatly ia
cilitqtad