The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-12-24
NATIONAL FOREST FIRES IN 1914

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officials Of the forest service, carried
greater danger from fire to the nation
al forests than any year since the cs-
tablishment Of the national forests.
To meet this emergency and TO pre-
vent great loss Of public property, the
department Of agriculture was obliged
TO exceed the amount appropriated for
fire protection and incur a deficieny
Of S349,243. The conditions Of drouth
and other factors of forest fires haz-
ard were said 10 be worse than in
1910, when the disastrous Idaho fires
occurred
Weather bureau reports show that
in most Of the Rocky mountain and
Pacific coast region last winters
SHOWS were much below normal, and
as result there was an early spring
and an early drying out Of the forests.
In western Montana and northern Ida
no there were forest fires in consid-
able numbers by the end of May and
they continued until October. In Cal
ifornia, where there is normally very
long season 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 temperature, recurring hard
and steady winds, and, in certain
places, unusually hot, dry nights, rem
dered the forests exceedingly inflam-
mable and the problem of fire preven-
ton 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,l12, or
about 1000 more than occurred in
1910. This number represents the
fires reported up to December /. AT
that time reports indicated that there
was still 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 regions 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
fires 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
cent were extinguished by the protec-
tive organization before they had COW
cred 10 acres. The percentage OF fires
that burned over 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, a preliminary estimate shows
that the loss of merchantable timber
will probably not exceed 100000. In
1910 the corresponding estimate OF
loss was nearly $15,000,000, but later
estimates materially reduced the
amount. Through the work OF the
protective force the fires this year
were largely confined to old burns and
to less heavily timbered areas. The
loss to the government through the de,
struction of young trees which had
sprung up in these openings is larger
than the actual loss to green timber.
Region of Gratest 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 $50 ,OOO,0O0.
It was in this section that the largest
amount of money had to be spent to
prevent the recurrence Of the great
disaster of 1910. In Oregon and wash
ington, the 1,200 fires which were
handled by the department threatened
upwards Of s24,OOO,O0o worth OF tim
mer. And these figures, according TO
the department experts, do no include
the value of non-merchantable TIMBER
and young growth on about 5.ooo'VVo
acres of land, and several million dol
lars worth of ranch and other private
property which lay in the path Of the
threatening CONGREGATIONS. Figures
are not yet gathered of the precise
amount Of damage threatened by fires
in California and other national for,
est states, though they are expected
to add large amounts to the total value
of property threatened and saved.
ENORMOUS RAINFALL.