Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-08
FIRES IN FORESTS
ARE DISASTROUS
ORIGIN OF. THE FLAMES PRO
VOKES MUCH COMMENT
If Those Who Visit Timber Lands
Would Exercise More Care Extent
of Damage Would Be
Lessened

What starts these forest fires? This
question has been asked over and over
again by readers of the accounts of the
destructive fires which have been rag
ing 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, perhaps, one
half to three-fourths of the forest fires
do begin as a result of the carelessness
of some camper, or from sparks flying
from locomotives, but there are num-
Der of things which are responsible for
forest fires.
complete report Of fires in the
private forests of the country and their
causes is not kept by anyone. Uncle
Sam, however, is most careful to ac-
count for the damage done by fires to
his timber land under forest admins
tration, aggregating about 168,000,00O
acres, and each year the total area
burned over, the timber land burned
over, the amount Of timber destroyed
and Its value, the cost of fighting fires
and the causes of fires are carefully
checked. These reports are made at the
end of the calendar year and the an
nouncement of this years losses there
fore will not be known for nearly two
months.
Last years figures, however, give
a good idea of the things which cause
fires in forests. OF the 1855 fires dis
covered on the national forests last
year, all OF which were checked by
the rangers before they had burned
fourteen hundredths of one per cent
of the national forest area, campers
caused 346, while railroads followed
next with 27S; lightning came next,
with 176; donkey engines, used in lun-
bering operations, fourth, with 90;
careless brush burning, by homestead
ers clearing land, "a; fires caused by
incendiaries and those set by herders
and hunters, 80. For more than 400
of the fires the cause Is not known
This is not strange when it is remem-
bered that fire may smolder for days,
if the air is too thick to permit the
smoke to be seen at a distance before
it breaks out when famed by wind
so as to reveal its presence to the
watchful forest officer
Railroads Cause Many Fires
While campers caused more fires than
locomotives last year, there are many
seasons when the railroads hold undis-
puted claim to first place. Forest fires
started by either are for the most part
unnecessary. If campers would exer-
else caution in starting camp fires and
be certain they are extinguished be-
fore they are abandoned; and If the
railroad companies would use the most
modern and efficient spark arresters it
is reasonable to believe the annual for
est fire loss could be reduced more
than one-half.
Lightning ranks third among the
causes of fires, and of course, man has
no greater responsibility in~this case
than to extinguish the fire as soon as
possible after detection. 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 ma
tional forests have been kept busy
fighting fires which, If left to run UNI
checked, would have done incalculable
damage. By quickening communica-
ton between important points, through
the construction of telephone lines, and
building roads and trails, the national
forests have been made more accessible
during the past two years and fire
fighting has been greatly facilitated.