The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-12-01
LOSS IN FOREST
FIRES REDUCED
U. S. Forestry Heads Declare Pre-.
venti0n Is Best Cure

Washington, Dec. Henry :.
Graves and other officials of the Unit
ed states forest service who are charg-
ed with the responsibility Of conserv-
ing by proper use and care the wealth
of timber land on the public domain
are concentrating themselves on the
fact that the fire season of this year
has passed on the national forests
with less damage than ever recorded
Immunity from fire loss has been
due To two principal causes--partly to
favorable season, but more largely To
a greatly improved organization for
fire prevention than has been hereto
fore attained. liy means of the i'm
proved organization IL was possible
during the past season To locate fires
more readily and get forest officers to
them more quickly than ever before.
The forest service believes fire pre-
rention To bc n much more effective
way of reducing fire damage than by
lighting fires after they have attained
dangerous proportions. The effective
ness of the new organization is proved
ECO fires reported in the national for
ests during the season just closed as
against $40 last year yet only about
$4,000 acres were burned over this
year, compared with 10000 acres i'm
1912 and 10000 in 1911.
The banner year for fire damage
was 1910, when millions os acres were
Inn. "A Il. 4.
Since that time long strides have been
made in the way Of improved protcc-
ton and fire prevention. Great i'm
provements are made from year to
year.
Signal Men Work by Maps.
One OF the most effective methods of
preventing extensive forest fires has
been put in use within the last year
by the forest service BY a carefully
drawn map of each forest reserve. ac-
curately triangluated, and series of
signal towers advantaEeously placed,
the lookouts are enabled to exactly
locate a ire and 10y telephone and
Photograph to direct the rangers To
the precise spot without loss of time.
Millions of feet of timber that other
wise would have been destroyed have
been saved to the country, and To the
system is largely due the greatly de-
creased area of devastated forest.
a large proportion of the forest fires
started during the past season were
due To human agencies and may gen
orally be charged against carelessncss.
Nevertheless. there has been "A mark
ed decrease i'm the number of fires
caused by burning brush, which, ac-
cording to forest officers, indicates IA
closer cooperation with the settlers
IN and near national forests and with
timbcrland owners
Railroads and lightning are the most
prolific causes of forest fires Sparks
from passing locomotives find lodg-
ment in dry leaves and underbrush
and burst into flames. While fires
caused by lightning are not prevent
able. the present system Of lookouts, |
who are stationed at high points |
throughout the forests, in communica- |
ton by telephone or Photograph or
boln, WIN loItSl TdHBeIS ana SUPER |
visors and with each other, makes it |
possible to locate fires Immediately |
after they are set. This is greatly |
lesscning the loss from fires caused |
by lightning.
Campers Cause Many Fires.
Careless campers come next to the |
railroads and lightning as the cause of
forest fires, but fewer of these could |
be charged against campers during the
recent season than heretofore.
Lumbermen's associations are CO.
operating closely with the federal
service and the state authorities in the
work of fire prevention and control
All agencies are working on the theory
hat it is much easier To stop "a fire
before IL gets going well than To con-
rol it after it is in full swing.
Discussing the question of fire pro-