The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-07
FOREST FIRES
COST MILLIONS
Federal Forester Says Annual
Confagrations Cause I'M
mense Losses.
LOCOMOTIVE SPARKS ONE
OF THE PRINCIPAL CAUSES
Recommends That Engines Use
Oil or Screen the Smoke
Stacks.

ST PAUL. Mimi, Dec. 6.-The ad-
dress nj Henry S. Graves. United States
forester. which was read by William l.
Hall OF Madison, Wis, assistant state
forester of Wisconsin, was the feature
of the forenoon session OF the Lake
States conference today The address
follows
"One of the most striking features
or the forests in the western mountains
is the enormous destruction by fire. in
nearly every national forest, large areas
have been burned over and the timber
Killed within the last half century II
frequently happens that when looking
over forest area from u high peak, not
over so per cent OF the area In sight
is covered with living trees.
Destruction OF forests by IRE is not.
however, modern occurrence. There
have been forest fires in the western
mountains from time immemorial and
many of them were fully as devastating
in their effects as any fires OF recent
years.
The causes of the ancient fires were
undoubtedly lightning and Indians. With.
In recent times. with the development OF
the west. the number OF tres has natu-
rally very much increased, The devel-
panied by an enormous destruction OF
forests The population has so increased
that in many places forest fires endaneer
settlements. towns. buildings and lives
Former Fires AS Bad.
The forest fires OF 1910 leave the i'm"
preston Of having been exceptional in
extent and damage. This Is chiefly be-
cause the extent Of the fires and the
loss caused by them has been made pub
lie and brought TO the attention OF the
people. and because for the first time
In history. there has been an attempt
10 check the fires in season OF eNcep-
81 of
do not believe that the fires have been
any greater or as great as in many years
in the past.
When the national forests were es-
of organizing them for the efficient ad-
ninistration of the business upon them
before their protection from fire. This
Is gigantic task, for the fo%ests cover
an area of about zoo 300 600 acres. Their
preesnt value in merchsntable timber
alone Is over two billion dollars Al
most Immediately after the Organization
OF the forest service. the fire loss was
enormously reduced,
THE forest service has been able. even
with its pitifully small force Of men. TO
last few years. primarily because there
have been reasonably favorable seasons
from the standpoint Of rainfall. During
the last season. however, there has been
an unprecedented drouth In tho west
It was the worst drouth ever known.
The effect OF the drouth was TO render
the foTeStS very. tnlIa m ma ole.
I'm addition 10 the drouth. high winds
rendered fire protection exceptionally
difficult.
"The most severe drouth, the greatest
northwest especially in northwestern
Montana and Idaho and In eastern Ore
gon and Washington In California and
the central Rocky mountain regions also
several fires occurred. but they were
more easily controlled because the con-
ditions were less difficult than In the
north Pacific regions.
Spent About S1,oo0,oo0.
The cost Of fighting the fires was
about a million dollars. but u Il had not
of the fores: officers. the losses Of public
and private property would have been
many times what they were, and prob
ably many additional lives would have
millions Of dollars worth of property
was saved by the fight waged under the
leaasrship !ESsna Of the .ft1sst,s forest service
thousand fires in the national forests dur
ing the season. Most OF them were
promptly extinguished by the forest off
portions or did much damage. The most
extensive damage vas done by the great
fire OF August 90 in northern Idaho
Within twenty-four hours there was
tance of over 100 miles.
The total area burned over during the
season amounts 10 over 100000 acres.
II is probable that between six and
seven billion feet Of timber was killed
Some Of this can still be cut and utilized
The money damage will probably reach
s25 Don. 900. n both merchantable timber
and young growth are considered.
"Of the over four thousand fires: 3A
per cent started from the railroads 1t
may be said, however. in this connec-
ton. that many of the railroads did
enormous service in putting out fires
which were started and in patroline
their rights Of way.
Seventeen per cent of the fires were
set By lightning. In the case OF % per
Probably portion Of theEe fires were
set by lightning: portion by careless
ness and a portion were incendiiry Six
per cent were set by carelessness in
burning slash. and 10 per cent by camp
ers. Six per cent were incendiary, and
I'm organizing a forest for fire pro-
lection II Is necessary: First-To elm
mate. so far possible. the causes Of
fires; second. to open up the forests by
roads trails. FIRE lines. etc. third. to
equip the forest with telephone looking
stations and other means OF communica-
ton, fourth TO equip the forest with
appliances for fighting fires; fifth, TO
provide an adequate protective force for
patrol and for fighting fires. and for the
development and maintenance OF various
required improvements
Most OF the causes Of fire may be
eliminated. with the exception OF light
ming. II is very essential to find way
70 prevent the escape of sparks from
locomotives, or else TO use oil for fuel
] believe IL is possible practically To
eliminate railroad fires"
Rebul1e the trick Of the church
n