The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-06-19
ASSOCIATION ISSUES
FIRE WARNINGS

With about 500 patrolmen already IN
the field, to be supplemented steadily
from now on and with trail and tele-
phone building being pushed rapidly,
the forest protective agencies OF the
Pacific northwest are commencing the
FIRE season of 1918 with more thorough
preparation early in June than in any
preyious year, according to reports re-
eeiyed simultaneously from all such
agencies by the Western Forestry &
! Conservation Association. Although it
has been a wet spring, without fire in
standing timber so far, these same
conditions have retarded the cleaning
up of slashings and similar fire traps
and il is also feared that the law of
averages will result in dry summer.
Fire officials particularly urge the
greatest care with slashings and right
of way clesrings from now on to pre-
vent fires from escaping or lingering
to spring up later. Any burning here
after, until October /, must be with
permit from a fire warden.
Private patrol associations have
greatly extended their acreage since
last year, particularly in Oregon where
the last legislature passed a compul-
sorry patrol law. New legislation in
California is expected to have the same
effect. For the first time all Of the
northwestern states will profit fully by
the Weeks law, under which the federal
government contributes to state patrol.
In Idaho and Washington the principal
railroads are clearing their rights of
way of infamabe debris and vegeta-
tion. Considerable complaint is made,
however, OF county road supervisors
and contractors who allow Toadbuilding
debris to accumulate in defiance of
law. Loggers are reported more inter-
ested in fire prevention than ever be-
fore and are generally following the
suggestion of patrol associations to
post rules around their camps instruct
ing employees in precautions and in
steps to be taken if fire breaks out. In
many cases camp superintendent are
being instructed to turn their forces
over to fire wardens on demand, with
out awaiting instructions from propri-
etors, since fire prevention is set ahead
of getting out logs.
Features of this years protective
work will be great acvitity by the gov
ernment and the timber owners patrol
associations in extending telephone
and lookout systems and the perfection |
of much closer cooperation between
private, state and federal systems un-
der agreemnts for division of patrol
territory and fire fighting expense. 1t
is estimated that not less than 81, $685.
900 will be spent for forest protection
by all three agencies in Montana, Ida
ho, Washington and Oregon, distributed
approximately as follows: state ap-
100000; timber owners
$3.50, 600; forest service,
q, $50, 900 federal Weeks law fund,
'35, 900. Should it prove a bad year,
he private expenditure, not being re-
tricted like the others, may be much
,reater. 1t was about $500, 900 in 1910.
In their reports to the Western For
stry & Conservation Association all
hese agencies. in urging public cooper
tion with their efforts to protect COM
lunity resources, lay special stress on
are with camp fires and burning slash
lgs. 1t is also asked that all accumu-
tions of inhamable debris constitut-
IL dangerous fire traps be reported to
re wardens at once, so that, if posi-
e, they can be dealt with before it
ecomes too dry.