The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1908-10-09
GREAT DANGER IN FOREST FIRE
Local Forest Service Did Good Work the
Past Summer.-Enormou Loss
in Other Localities

past summer. The loss is not wholly
confined to timber. In many places
the loss OF life through forest fires has
been great. Those who have made
attacks on the management Of the ma
tional forest must admit, in view of the
fact that the serious loss is confined to
those sections that are not under con-
troll of the forest service, that the de-
partment is not wholly bad or useless.
While there were numerous fires in
this section, perhaps thirty or more,
many OF them were small, and notably
so because the forest rangers were
promptly on hand and extinguished the
fires before they gained much Roadway.
The fires in this section that deserve
mention occurred on Mad river, near
Chiwaukum and Drury, and Berne and
Buck creek. While some timber was
destroyed the loss was comparatively
insignificant.
The loss not only of timber, but also
OF life, in British Columbia and Wiscon-
sin and Idaho, was great. We have
no statement of the loss of life but the
following from the forestry department
will give some idea of the timber loss:
Nothing could better call the atten-
ton of thinking people to the neces-
sity for the preservation of our natural
resources than the great forest fires
which have been so widely distributed
throughout the country and have
played such havoc this summer. It is
doubtful if the losses for the year 1908
will ever be fully known, but a conser-
vative estimate by DR.. w. ]. MCGEE,
erosion expert, United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, places the aggre-
gate loss in all parts of the country
during these months OF confagration at
81, 100000 day.
In nearly every instance, probably in
every instance, these devastating fires
might have been prevented if the vari-
Gus states had provided an adequate
number of men to patrol the woods
and arrest all such fires in their incipi-
ency, and if lumbermen and other
users of the forest were careful to dis
pose Of brush after logging so as to
prevent the spread of fires.
Uncle Sam has had lot OF work to
do on his national forests in the fire.
fighting line this year, but his work
has shown good results. Exclusive Of
the salaries OF forest officers, the work
of putting down fires in the national
forests for the year has cost the gov
eminent $4,000. This means pro-
tecting approximately 1913, 900, 900
acres. The value OF the timber de-
stroyed will not be known until the fire
reports are made at the end of the
year, though it is estimated that it will
be larger than last year. But it will be
insignificant when compared with the
appalling fire losses outside of the ma
tional forests on unprotected areas.
These results have come through
the increased efficiency of fire patrol
and methods OF fighting fire. and the
cooperation OF settlers and users OF
forests who understand that the forests
are their property and that loss from
fire is personal one. By posting fire
notices and giving advice the govern
ment has secured cooperation from
the outside, which may be said to be
as important an agency in reducing the
loss from forest fires as is the perfec-
ton Of machinery for fighting these
fires.
After timber is cut the regulations
require brush to be compactly piled at
safe distance from living trees. This
brush is sometimes burned under di-
rection OF a forest officer, but even if
it is allowed to stand no fire that starts
finds fuel by which it can spread.
The national forests are constantly
patrolled by picked force of rangers
and guards. The present force, whose
main duty is fire patrol, is 1851 men;
the average area that each is required
to protect is 800 acres. 1t is
fully understood that this area is alto
gether too large, and just as soon as
funds are available to permit of the
employment Of larger force Of men
the area will be reduced.