The Washington times., 1910-08-22
BLAME IS PLACED
UPON INCENDIARIES


Steps are being taken today by the
Bureau Of Forestry 10 run down thu
iEcendiaries who are thought TO be re-
sponsible for the forest fires now sweep
ing the AIissOula. Mont, district and
northern Idaho district
The War Department at the request
Of Associate Forester Potter. has or
dered two completely equipped pack
trains, with heId hospital equipment,
and under the charge Of competent
medical officers 20 AIissoUIa-
Chief Forester Henry 5. Graves. the
Government forester, this morning
turned bacs- from Rochester, " y, and
caught a fast train for Chicago. He
-.sill reach the fire district Thursday
The rangers and forest guards have
turned their abortion from saving The
forests TO saving the irs>- OF the many
wHO are IL danger Of being burned 10
death II the blazing woods
Two hundred fire-f5gh-erS are in dan
on the Idaho side Of the east fork Of the
s. Joe. and west Of the south end OF the
Bitter creek forests
Incendiarism Charged
This IS the situation which this morn
ing caused Associate Forester Potter to
declare that the forest service would
continue an uu-eTuittiuz fight. but that
unless a turn IN the weather favors the
lighters the fires VIII burn 0E until
dying out for want Of fuel.
There IS no question in the minds OF
the forest officials toay but what the
fires now raS-ng IN Montana and Idaho
are the result of a drive being made
on the rangers and protectors OF the
Government reserves by foes cOnser-
walton
Associate Forester Cotter declares
that the only way the public can be
protected Is 10y bcrr>T provision for the
ueadway- There are not enough for
est rangers TO ,-<0rect the forests adj
equately, ne says nor sufficient means
According 10 Mr. Potter, the fires now
raging IN the West are tie combined
result OF unusually dangerous E0ndi-
tons, inadequate means of protecting
the forests and lucelGiaris-u-
An exceptionally dry season has
made the conditions highly dangerous
throughout The Northwest be said.
While We are in much better shape
now 10 protect the forests against such
conditions than we would have been a
Few years ago, II is like trying To han
de a san Francisco or a Baltimore fire
with haud-buckeI crew
Forest Force Inadequate.
In the Clearwater Forest IN northern
Idaho. Where made fires are raging now.
The supervisor has q total force OF
thirty-seve1 rangers and guards 10 pro-
tect two and half million acres of
forest The country Is SO rough and wild
and Their are SC few trails that it may
take a UeeI- 10 get To tire IRE and all
supplies must he obtained By the sire
fighters through pack trails OF horses
and mules
The forest sarIce is building roads
ard trails and teIeDECCe lines as 1asL
aS l. can with the money available. and
has done surprisingly vel 5n putting oul
fires before they have become foruid-
able
The destruction OF private property
VIII doubtless prove 10 have been aD-
paliIug ia the aggregate. 20 say moth
ing OF the loss Of life such losses can
only be prevented by q sufficiently viz
orous puhIIC opinion 10 prevent the care
less starting Of fires and by organized
sufficient protection Of all forest prod
eTIv. private. state and national
Or edwin = start secretary Of the
American Forestry Association today
declared that ne could see only one red
son for the abnormal number OF f0reS-
fires IT. The West. ard That was iuCCE-
oiarism-