The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-11-12
How Do Forest Fires Start


What starts these forest fires? This
question has been asked over and over
again this summer by readers of the
accounts of 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 for.
gotten. 1t is true that perhaps 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 nun
ber of things which set the woods fire.
A complete report of fires on 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 the blazes
on his tmberand under forest admin
istration, aggregating about 16S, 900, 600
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
announcenent 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 1855 fires dis
covered on the National Forests last
year, all of which We're checked by the
rangers before they had burned over
fourteen hundredths of one per cent of
the National Forest are, campers caused
BAG: while railroads followed next with
273; lightning came next. with 17G; don
key engines used in numbering opera
tions, fourth, with 65; careless brush
"a fires caused by incendiaries and
those set by herders and hunters, 3O
For more than 400 of the fires the cause
is not known. This is not strange when
it is remembered that fire may smolder
for days, if the air is too thick to permit
the smoke to be seen at distance be
fore it breaks out when famed by
wind so as to reveal its presence to the
watchful forest officer.
While campers caused more fires than
locomotives last year, there are many
years when the railroads hold undisput-
ed claim to first place. Forest fires
started by both are mostly unnecessary.
If campers would exercise care in
starting camp fires and be sure that they
are eXtinguished before they are left,
and If the railroad compani es would use
the most modern and efficient spark ar
resUers, it is reasonable to think that
the annual forest fire loss could be re
duced more than ne-half. Lightning
ranks third among the causes of fires,
and of course, man has no greater re-
sponsibility in this case than to put the
fire out as soon as possible after discov
cry. Careless brush burning by home
steaders and persons clearing land is
said to be the cause of many of the fires
which have started this year, particu-
larly those which have swept over the
Lake States.
The ranger force on many of the Ma
tional Forests have been kept busy fight
ing fires, which, if left to run uncheck
ed, would have done incalculable dam
age. By quickening communication be
tween 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 fight
ing has been greatly facilitated.