Williams news., 1911-04-22
PRECAUTION TAKEN TO
 PREVENT FOREST FIRES

| tenn of fire protection now being installed on all national forests throughout the west, a detailed plan will shortly be put into effect upon the Tusayan national forest, having headquarters at Williams.
 It is proposed to construct 35 miles of telephone lines during the coming summer and wire for 15 miles will arrive shortly for the Maine-Spring Valley telephone line and also branch lines to the summit of Bill Williams mountain, Volun- teer mountain, south of Bellemont, and Government hill. near Spring valley. Men will be stationed on these peaks during May and June, and will report to the Williams office at once the exact location of all fires located on the Tusayan and Coconino forests. Later in the season telephone communication will be extended to the Bar Cross ranch, about IS miles south of Williams, and also to the Allen Lake ranger station. lying north west of the Sitgreaves mountains. Boxes containing complete equip ment of fire tools will be placed at various points over the forest and at each ranger station. Cooking utensils and provisions will be boxed up and ready for imme diate use.
 All forest users have been re- quested to state at once the number of men they will furnish in case of fire threatening their range, or areas under permit, and already number have agreed to go to fires or instruct their employees to do so, without even awaiting word from forest officers. Where fire does not threaten the area held under permit by any party, or where he is not responsible for the origin of the fire, he and his men will be reimbursed for their services, but in all other cases all permittees will be expected to. assist without compensation whatsoever.
 The essence of the whole plan is prompt attack on all fires discov- cred, and in nearly all cases the ranger, with the assistance of per- haps one or two permittees, can extinguish blaze in few minutes, where otherwise with an hour or two delay in getting to the scene of action, the fire might become so extensive that large force of men will be required and the resulting damage to the country would be much more serious.
 All campers on the forest reserve will be required to have shovels in their outfits during the months of May and June in order that pits can be prepared for the camp fire and the coals completiy covered with earth before leaving the place. Everyone is cautioned against drop ping cigarette butts or burning matches, since many fires are start ed by thoughtlesssness in this mat ter. The secretary of agriculture has offered the following rewards for evidence leading to the convic ton of anyone guilty of starting forest fires:
 1. Not exceeding s25O and not less than $50 for information leading to the arrest and con- viction of any person in any United States court. on the charge of wilfully and maliciously setting on fire. or causing to be set on fire, any timber, underbrush, or grass upon the lands of the United States within national forest.
 2. Not exceeding $10O and not less than s25 for information leading to the arrest and con viction of any person, in the United States court. on the charge of building fire on lands of the United States within a national forest, in or near any forest timber other inflam- mable material and leaving said fire before the same has been totally extinguished.
 On April IA fire was reported on Government prairie. about three miles north of Maine, and Ranger Bepham and Guard Sornborger from the Williams district went immediately to assist Rangers Plat ten and Adams in extinguishing