The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-09-09
PROJECTING THE FORESTS FROM
THE sCOURGE OF FIRE


bly, the need for more extensive sy,
TENS of protection against fire in th
national forests of the far west an
northwest. The disasters of thi
summer point to the fact that NOR
safeguards must be thrown about tn
wooded areas of the country If
repetition of the recent fires is t
be avoided.
For 1t Is fact that years fire
burn away more of the precious WOO
lands than would be taken to suppl
the timber needs of the country TO
quite few years. Added to this, ant
even more urgent as reason for &C
ton, is the enormous loss of life ant
property involved in fire like tina
of this summer.
In some cases in the national for
ests, according to Chief Forester
Henry c. Graves, a single ranger has
the responsibility OF looking after
more than 100000 acres during the
dry season. In the forests of Ger
many one guard is kept for every
100 acres, in one case even as few
as $50 acres.
The national forests of the United
States now include almost 100000
600 acres of land and to look after
these free of 5000 men is employ
ed. This is recognized to be totally
inadequate for the heavy demands,
and each dry spell brings its quota
OF disastrous fires to bear out this
fact more strongly.
In the measures that have already
been taken to protect the forests
from fire, telephone has played very
important part. This part is describ-
ed in recent Washington dispatch to
a number of daily newspapers under
the heading Thousands of Dollars
Saved the Government by Telephone
in the following words
In protecting forest reserves of
the nited States from fire the tele-
phone has become an instrument of
salvation, and there are many cases
on record in the forestry bureau
where this modern appliance has saw
ed innumerable lives and many hun
dred thousand dollars worth of tim
Der.
Experience has taught the officials
in charge of the forestry bureau that
1t is almost out of the question to
cope with forest fires after they have
been fully started. When they get a
good start and have favorable condi-
lions, such as a brisk breeze and dry
weather, the flames sweep through
the forest and over the surrounding
country without meeting any great
resistance Therefore, the officials of
the bureau have determined that the
only possible way to control these
hres is prevent them-that is, at
lack the fire at its inception.
1t is at this point where the tele-
phone gets in its work and has dem
onstrated itself as an important fac
or as a machine of salvation AS
means of preventing fires and to dis
over those which have not gained .
my amount of Roadway, thousands of .
men have been employed annually by .
he government as rangers and pat
olmen. They are assigned to dis
riots which they are called on to
atrol, but the work of this patrol
ystem did not really become effec-
i've until the telephone was intro
uced
As the condition presents itself to- '
ay, forest ranger leaves his cabi1.
some secluded valley to patrol the
srritory allotted to him. His trails
re well kept, his telephone is in or
err, with call boxes arranged every
wv miles along the path and fire 9
mes, and at observation towers. He
caches spot where party of pros y
ectors or others have been camping "
nd have left their camp fire with 81
1T extinguishing it. Since their de-
arturo and prior to the appearance
the ranger the fire has extended p
ong the ground in the dry forest
rpet and assumed proportions too
eat for him to handle alone, though
S efforts may be sufficient to check tv
e flames for short period The h;
niger can remain and fight the fire k,
one and wait for the arrival of 9TH IA
rangers who have been attracted ed
the smoke, or he can ride to the he
Arrest telephone box and send out in
emergency call -,
Before the days of the telephone
2 ranger, after discovering the blaze M
is compelled to ride to the near he
settlement, which might have th
an one Or two dave rida to oh+o;u