The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-09-01
CAUSES AND EFFECTS
OF FOREST FIRES
BY w. b. Seifert Ranger, Northern Forest
Protective Association.


AS YOU all know. where there is
cause, there is an effect, although in
some cases the latter is trivial Still.
the fact remains that there VIII be an
effect. no matter what the cause, and
in some cases the effect is appalling.
In this article | wish to make clear
first the causes of forest fires: second.
the effect upon every person, property
owner and sportsman.
The causes of forest fires are various
and, i'm some cases. remarkable. Sta
tistics show that about forty per cent.
OF all forest fires originate from the
farmer or settler burning brush while
land. This is by far the great
est single cause of fire and IL is one
which can most easily be controlled by
the individual.
Locomotive engines rank next as
settlers of forest fires. The emission OF
sparks and live cinders has ever been a
source of fires which IL has been diff
cult To overcome. The law provides
that every locomotive shall be equipped
with an efficient spark arrester, but I'm
great many cases no effort is made
to live up to the law and in many 9TH
ers the arresters devised are anything
but efficient. The enactment of this
law has however. led to experiments
and study and efficient arresters are
undoubtedly being devised which will
entirely take care of the danger from
this source.
Another frequent cause Is the failure
on the part of sportsmen and berry
pickers to completely eXtinguish their
camp fires. To begin with. a camp fire
should be built only large enough to
serve the requirements of the camper.
1t should be built on barren soil and
not against logs or close To brush and
rubbish. When the camp fire is left it
should be completely extinguished eth
er by thoroughly drenching with water
or covering with sand.
Very frequently the throwing of CT
gar or cigarette stubs, pipe ashes and
lighted matches along the highway or
river bank, results i'm serious fires by
igniting a decayed log. brush pile or
leaves and smouldering for hours, days
or even weeks until n heavy wind has
famed il into a flame which is unno-
ticed for several days and then found
to be uncomfortable. The prevention
OF fires from these causes requires
nothing but care. The man who
smokes i'm the forest should deposit the
cigar stub, the ashes from his pipe or
the remnant of his cigarette in a place
where there is no possibility of fire and
then 1t is very easy to eXtinguish by
grinding into the soil with the feet.
The match which is used TO light the
pipe or cigar should be held until IL is
entirely out, and even then should not
be thrown into grass and leaves
Another cause of fires which is never
thought of. or If thought Of at all is
not given credence. is the action of the
rays of the sun upon glass, tending To
spontaneous combustion. The focus
ing of the sun by a bottle or broken
piece of glass creates a burning glass.
and II the conditions are favorable
the surface covering of leaves or dry
grass might be ignited
Taking into consideration all of these
causes and the increased slashings, our
fire risk is getting greater each year.
The second part of this article is in
the interest of every man. woman and
child, as tending to promote health,
happiness and wealth.
! take up first the effect upon the
citizens in general. We must all ac-
knowledge that we are never so happy
or feeling so wen as when we are hav-
ing n few weeks in the woods during
the hunting. fishing and berry season.
What would you do without this pleas
use? You answer "Do without it."
Perhaps you can. but you'll find It a
hardship and one that cannot easily be
overcome. a little serious thought up