Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-19
FIGHTING FOREST FIRES
Many Do Not Realize Importance
of the Work.
Experiences Of Two Assistants Ia
state Forester Hnwes in the Dis
trIcts Where the Most Damage
Was Done Inst Year.

have Just returned from six weeks
trip through the state. during which time
they have made n thorough investigation
Of tho causes Of the forest fires Of last
year and taken such measures were
possible to prevent their recurrence.
The worst FIRE districts In the state
proved to be Nos. I. 2. and L. No
includes the towns of Tnderhil Rich
mond, Bolton and Huntington; No. q the
towns Of Goshen. Rochester. Chittenden.
Sherhurne Mendon. Bridgewatcr md
Plymouth: No 2. Woodford and GIasten-
bury; No. 4, watervile Belvidere. Eden
and Lowell. These towns are those which
have required tho greatest expenditure by
! the state. The town Is required 10 expend
ones In the State where aid has been re-
! qu'red in fire fighting during the past
year. Tho town is required to expend
| an amount, II necessary. equal to 5 per
cent Of the grand lis, for this purpose; n
! this amount is exceeded tho state comes
| To the rescue Those sorelv afflicted dis
tricts lie along the range Of tho Green
| Mountains and ths ,s the region that
| needs to he most closely watched for tho
| outbreak of fires.
The objects Of the investigation were. IN
| general. TO find the acreage burned over
| In 1905 the value of the present fire
| warden system and 10 make such recon-
mendations as might be expedicnt for its
Improvement.
The fire warden is .he first selectman
| in each town and T. often happened that
! the selectman did not know that he was
| the fire warden and learned 10 his surprise
of his additional office. This is not
generally the case. however. for large
propor,i ion of the wardens are thoroughly
efficient and we'll Informed. In one
| instance. in the town Of Sherburne whom
fire broke out near tho home Of tho
selectman. he drove 1s miles to find the
states attorney and ascertain Just what
was his duty in the matter. He was told
to 60 back home and put tho fire out.
In Lowell tho fire warden absolutely
refused 70 provide force Of mon 10
| extingulsh a fire burning in tho eastern
part Of the township and. rs a result If
his delay. an enormous area was burned
over. The wardens are supposed to re-
port all Of tho fires occurring during their
terms. hut this has not been done IN
rome cases. In the eastern part Of the
State fire occurred that burned coo
acres and the warden did not report
he knew of no such requirements. He
was cnlirhtened The attitude of the
interest to absolute Indifference. one case
of Indifference and worse. which stands
out with starting c,earness IS that Of
man in district No g. When the assistants
Of the state forester deliberately eX-
planned to him tho objects Of their work
he replied. with tho utmost non-chaance
What the deuce do YOU suppose I care?'
/ The name of this public spirited person
might we'll 20 down 70 future generations
along with tina. Of Nero and some other
noted firehuEs
The important things for the warden
and his men n do are TO get after thu
fire soon as II is reported and 70 stay
with II until It IS completely out. Almost
| any Of the most destructive fires might
have been averted with little or no
damage II they had been taken in time
| or II the mon had remained little longer
after they thought the fire was out. In
order 10 properly 20 about tho improve
mont of tho present conditions II Is first
+ necessary to arouse n warm intcrest with
the people and an active appreciation
~ tho dangers and damages liable 70 re-
suit from carelessNess. The season of
droui-lt is tho time # esnecial danger.
\ droDrod match or cigar stub may easily
cause thousands If dollars damage. Camp
f'rOS
otter it harrors that owing to insult
fcio,,. telephone service, or no service
at oil. or noss'N'v tho distance Of his
residence from the scene Of the FIRE.
the warden is urnhlc to reach the spot
until the fire has gained great head
way II there Is no one ut hand 10
take charge of affnirs ard direct the
efforts 81 those who are az WORK little
can be accomplished. For these reasons
division of many Of tho towns into
fro districts seer,s advisable The lines
Of division might be determined by some
natural boundary, such n system OF
highways or n range If hills or wa
terwny II there were n warden in each
district who could work under the gem
eral direction of the bend warden. the
selectman of the town. the work of
FIRE fighting would he immeasurabv
Facilitated This especially applies to
the thinlv settled and mountainous
towns.
The first work Of forestry Is naturally
along the lines Of fire fighting for fire
is the great destructive agent which II
everywhere has to combat After fire
| has once passed through wooded area
| a great many years are required be-
| foro reforestation can take place In
| some cases II never does and the terri
| tory lapses into barren waste, In dis
trict No hundreds Of acres OF noun
tain land have hecome mere barren
| lodges. the soil having been washed
away after the trees We're destroyed. In
many OF the towns the wardens, as It
happens. have had some experience In
fighting fires. and in these cases much
more effective work is done in time Of
Ia In