Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-03-19
LOCOMOTIVES
PLAY HAVOC
Reports Show Sparks Caused
1,186 Forest Fires Last
Year
IDAHO HEADS FIRE LIST
Protective Value of the Work of
Forest Rangers Is
Shown.

The local forestry officials have re-
ceived statistics from the department
of agriculture showing the number Of
forest fires for the past year and the
estimated losses as well as various
causes. There was less havoc
wrought by fires in 1909 than in 1908,
although the total number of fires was
40 greater. The work of the forest
officers in fighting fires was worthy of
| commentator. The report shows that
| locomotive sparks lead as a cause Of
| fires and campers come second. The
report is as follows:
Fire played less havoc in the wood
i lands of the national forest states last
year than it did in 1908, although the
number of fires was 410 greater The
department of agriculture has just
completed the statistics. The protec-
tive value of the work of the depart
ment is shown in that (D almost
eighty per cent of the fire were extin-
guished before as much as five acres
had been damaged; (2) less than one
and one-half acres to the square mile
of national forest land was burned
over; (3) and the amount of damage
done to the burned-over area averaged
but $1.26 per acre.
For the twelve months ending De-
cember 81 last, there were 3,13S fires
on the forests, 1,1S6 caused by loco
motives, 431 by campers, 294 by
lightning, 1S1 by brush burning, 81 by
incendiaries, 3S by swamills and
donkey engines, 1853 by miscellaneous
and 75S by unknown agencies. The
area burned over was, in round fig.
ures, 100000 acres, of which about
$4,000 We're private lands in national
forests, as against some 100000 acres
in 1908. Some 170,000,000 board feet
of timber was consumed, of which 49,
100000 feet was privately owned, as
against 230,000,000 in the previous
year. The loss in value of timber de-
stroyed was less than 100000, of
which close to $4,000 was privately
owned. The loss Of the year before
was about $450,000. Damage done to
reproduction and forage shows a re-
markable decrease, less than 100000
being the record for 1909 and over
100000 that for 1908.
Idaho Leads.
The largest number of fires occur
red in Idaho-991; but the great in
crease over 1908 in that state-name-
ly 573-is entirely attributable to fires
in the Occur d'Alene, which We're ex-
tinguished without material damage.
Locomotive sparks were the cause of
GIL of the blazes in this forest last
year The explanation of the increase
in the total for all forests is to be
found in this Occur d'Alene increase.
The report of the forester for 1909
said of the fire record of 1908: "That
, year was one of prolonged drought
during the summer and fall, and of
disastrous forest fires throughout the
country. The national forests suffer-
ed relatively little. About 232 191 900
board feet of timber, of 0.06 per cent
of the stand, was destroyed A total
of 2,72S fires was reported, of which
. 2,OS9 were small fires confined as a
rule to an area of five acres or less.
The cost of fire fighting, exclusive Of
, the salraies of forest officers, was $751;
2S3.93. This sum, added to the pro-
;. portion of the total salaries of rang
ers and guards properly chargeable to
patrol and fire fighting, was less than
/ one-twentieth of one per cent of the
:, value of the timber protected, estimat-
/ ed at an average stumpage value Of
81 per thousand"