Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-02-01
ONLY 1900 ACRES
OF TIMBER BURNED
IN NEW MEXICO
DURING 1871
Figures Compiled From Re-
ports Made BY Forestry Of
ficials Indicate Efficiency
Of Fire Fighting Equipment
EXCELLENT RECORD
DUE TO MANY THINGS


During the year 1911 the national
iorests IN New Mexico suffered a fire
lvsa OF only three thousand acres. and
me torests ia Arizona only ioss OF
Fix thousand acres. This splendid
record iH one Of which every person
'onnected with tho United sthtos FOR
est service Ia these two states may be
proud The record for 1911 through
out District No. 3. which comprises
the states OF Arizona Arkansas. Flor
ida, New Mexico and Oklahoma, H.
an unusually fine one. The total
acreage Of national forest lands ia
District 3, which maintains head
quarters IN Albuquerque. IL approx
inately 25.000.000 acres. The follow
ing interesting data WIS gathered from
The fire reports from all the forests
IN the district, and was made public
today.
During 1910 the rainfall was be-
low normni. In New Mexico and Art
IONA the rains began about one month
before and lasted one month after
the usual dry season. In Floridn the
season was extremely dry. Last year
over $4,000 was spent fighting
lire this year bills totaled only about
$1,000. The area OF national forest
lands burned over last year totaled
over 500, goo aCTes. and tho timber
burned amounted 20 approximately %
million feet, board measure. The cor
responding figures this season are
100000 acres burned over, OF which
] so. 600 are I'm Arkansas and over co.
O00 IN Florida forests. and approx
mately 10 million feet. board measure.
killed. only 1900 acres in New Mex
leo and 5000 In Arizona were burned
over This year The total number Of
fires reported last year was $40 and
this year 4gq.
The excellent fire record for 1911
Is attributed 20 preparations along
technical lines and the stratcgical use
Of defensive system based upon inn
proved communication by trails and
telephone lines, assisted by favorable
climatic conditions and cooperation
from users OF the forests Labor
equivalent In money value 10 one-third
the amount spent IN fighting fires
was voluntarily furnished on the fire
line By forest users.
Each national forest has It's fire
plan or In other words control sys-
tenn The forest itself Is not the unit
In this plan, bat the ranger district, or
the area covered by a forest ranger
The plans FOR oach ranger district are
correlated and form the fire plan for
the forest.
Naturally the purpose of fire plans
Is 60 be prepared Cor any emerRen-
cies that may arise. BY careful study
Of the forest lookout points are Sc
lected and equipped with towers,
range finders and telephones. % neces-
sary patrol divisions are laid off and
regular patrol routes established and
communication Is provided between
the loOkouts, patrolmen and district
rangers. Fire tools and supplies
whenever necessary are scattered az
strategic points throughout the for
est and a definite scheme Of coop
Grafton. not only between the district
rangers loOkOuts and patrolmen o.
worked out, but also with companies
operating In the forests and forest
users. Il VIII be seen that fire fight
ing IL as much "a science as that Of
warfare.