Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1910-11-03
NATIONAL FOREST FIRE DAMAGE
IN MONTANA AND NORTH IDAHO


put at over one and one fourth mil
lion acres.
The heaviest losses were In two
} Idaho Forests, the Occur d'Alene,
where over billion board feet OF tim
Der are reported killed or destroyed
and over $50 thousand acres burned
over. and the Clearwater, where l
billion feet OF timber were killed or
destroyed and 300 Thousand acres
; burned over. On the Helena Ma
tional Forest, in Montana, the loss
in timber is believed to have been
500 million feet, on the Cabinet For
est 400 million, and on the Lolo For
est 300 million.
\ A large part of the losses on the
Couer d'Alene. Clearwater, and Lolo
we're due TO what became practical
ly one great fire. The burn is
shown on the Forest Service maps as
extending in a nOrthwesterly and
southeasterly direction from north
Of Wallace, Idaho. to point some
miles southwest Of .Missoula, Mont, %
nearly 100 miles. AT its widest point
this burn has a width OF about 4s
miles, but its shape is very irregular.
I It was really a union Of a number
of separate fires, driven to fury
by the fierce hurricane OF August
| 26. To the west of the Idaho-Mon-
tana boundary in the region of this
fire lies a very inaccessible mountain
GUS country, into which, on account
of the absence of trails and Of for
age, it was almost impossible for
forces of fire fighters TO penetrate.
When the hurricane arose it drove
the fires upon the parties which
were hewing way towards them,
forced these parties to seek refuge
wherever it could be found. and
swept down upon the forests where
the fires were up TO that time
generally well in hand. The extern
siye losses are ascribed 10 the
combination of hurricane and lack
of means to get to the fires and put
them out before the storm came. On
the forests which were best equipp-
ed for controlling fires the results
achieved are regarded as a dem
onstration of the efficacy Of the
fire fighting methods employed, ev-
en- under highly adverse natural con-
ditions.
Forester Graves believes that, as
usually happens in the case of big
firse, there will be found to be-
considerable areas of living timber
within the regions now mapped as
entirely burned over. OF necessity,
the figures given are tentative, for
it has been impossible to examine
all the burned areas thoroughly. AS
fast as possible, however, the Forest
officers are locating and estimating
the bodies of timber killed but capa-
BILE of being numbered, if taken in
time. There will be an enormous
quantity of fire-killed timber. both
on the National Forests and on pri-
yate lands. to be disposed of as
soon as possible. since if not market
ed quickly it viii not be worth cutting
at all.
The Department of Agriculture will
push vigorously to dispose of this
fire-killed timber As with all 9th
er National Forest timber, it viii
be sold on the stump, to mill-men
who will lumber the land, paying a
set price per thousand board feet
for the timber and conforming to
whatever regulations are stipulated
in the interest of the forest. Pend
ing the disposal OF this fire-killed tim
Der, future sales of green timber
from the National Forests which
were badly burned last summer will
probably be greatly restricted, if
not entirely suspended.
Since the amount to be disposed Of
is doubtless greater than can be
marketed in any event. and since
it is better for the country that the
timber should be utilized than that
it should go to waste in the woods.
the price at which it will be sold
will be lower than would be asked
for the timber under ordinary cir
cumstances. Generally speaking, Sec
rotary Wilson does not regard it as
a wise public policy TO sell off the
National Forest timber except when
it is in reasonbly good demand, for
the country is sure to need the sup
ply later on. But with the fire-killed
timber it is case of now or never
there is an unusual OPP
ening for lumbermen who are ready
to buy National Forest stumpage at
bargain prices.
How much of the billion feet
I'LL - .s.h.- tsfr,d - hsrruad m