The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-23
FOUGHT 6,t12 FOREST
fires DURING SEASON
Past Summer Carried Grsater Dsnger
to Forests From Fire Than Any
: Previous Year Since Hstsbaishment
Of National Forests


Washington, d. c., Dec. 29.-The
season of 1914, according to the Of
ficials of the forest service, Carried
greater danger from fire to the national
forests than any year since the estab-
lishment of the national forests. To
meet this emergency and to prevent
great loss of public property, the de-
partment. of agriculture was obliged to
exceed the amount appropriated for fire
projection and incur deficiency of
S349,243. The conditions. of drouth
and other factors Of forest fire hazard
were said to be worse than in 1910,
when the disastrous Idaho fires oc-
Cured.
Weather bureau reports show that in
most of the Rocky mountain and Pa
cife coast region last winter s SHOWS
were much below the normal and as a
result there was an early spring and an
early drying out Of the forests. In
| western Montana and northern idaho
there were forest fires in considerable
numbers by the end of May and they
continued until October. In California,
where there is normally very long sea.
son of drouth, the fire season started
| in some portions five weeks earlier than
usual, and in the southern part of the
State the fire danger was still great
at the end of November. A long dry
season, sustained periods of high tenn
perature, recurring hard and steady
Winds and, in certain places, unusually
hot, dry nights, rendered the, forests ex
eeedingly infammable and the problem
of fire prevention unusually difficult
More Than Six Thousand Fires
The total number Of fires during the
season of 1914 which threatened the
national forests and which had to be
handled by the protective organization
of the forest service were 6,112, on
about / 900 more than occurred in
1910. This number represents the fires
reported up to December |. At that
time reports indicated that there was
still a dangerous condition in southern
| California and in certain portions of
the national forests of the east. The
service says that the total for the year
will be increased by fires in these re-
gions during December.
| The most serious conditions are re-
ported from western Montana and
northern Idaho and ON the Pacific
slope. The weather conditions in the
central and southern Rocky mountain
regions were more nearly normal. AS
a consequence only Is per cent. of the
| total number Of all national forest fres
occurred in these regions and they were
handled without difficulty and with
very small loss of property.
OF the entire 6,112 fires which
threatened the national forests, 81 per
avt. uknI bsx, -.
tive organization before they had COW
cred 10 acres. The percentage of fires
that burned over more than 10 acres
was smaller than in any previous year.
While detailed reports have not yet
been received appraising the exact loss
to the government through the forest
fires, preliminary estimate shows that
the loss OF merchantable timber will
probably not exceed 100000. In
1910 the corresponding estimate Of
loss was nearly s15,000,000, but later
estimates materially reduced the
amount. Through the work of the pro-
tective force the fires this year were
largely confined to old burns and to less
heavily timbered areas. The loss to the
government through the destruction of
young trees which had sprung mp in
these openings is larger than the ae-
tual loss to green timber.
Region of Greatest Danger
In Montana and Idaho alone, it is
said that the value of specific bodies
of timber WHICH were threatened by
the approximately 1000 fires which
started and were put out, aggregated
the enormous sum of over 59,000,0 900.
1t was in this section that the largest
amount OF money had to be spent to
prevent recurrence of the great dis.
aster of 1910. In Oregon and Wash.
ington, the 1900 fires which were han
died by the department threatened up.
wards of $24, 100000 worth of tim.
Der. And these figures, according to
the department experts, do not include
the value of -merchantable timber
and young growth on about 5000, 900
acres of land, and several million dol
lars worth of ranch and other private
property which lay in the path of the
threatening conhagrations Figures are
not yet gathered Of the precise amount
of damage threatened by fires in Cali
fornia and other national forest states,
though they are expected to add large
amounts to the total value of the prop
erty threatened and saved.