The chronicle=news., 1914-04-22
Forest Service
Acfiue in Preuen-
tion Forest Fires

1913 the forces on the national for
esis foasht A.520 fires. or heari,
twice as many as started in lsi:. the
bes, year the forests have ever had
Notwithstanding the srsai in
crease in the number Of !ires;. Eores-
ter 6rsvss consii.rs that The show
ing mad. by the forest service was
quite as favorable as that In the pre-
sediss year. because the damage
done and the eo,l of Tire fighting
were no greater proi0Tiionaisiy thsa
Ia 1919, Ia both ysars practically
). pr cent of all fires were detect
ed and -x,insuishea before they
burned over a quarter of an acre.
and q. I.cr seni of bath Years fires
a-r. .ut o,it bsiog. th-s covered ten
s.r-. Of last years fires. j..sk.
or considerable, more than the whole
number Of fires ia 1919. were con
fined to ARIA 81 less than ten asr-..
AMI in LOS. additional fires iss.
than $40" damage ~ns done 10y Each.
ia oniy twenty five fires did the
.'sinas. ansun, 10 si,...-
The sssr-ssi. i..s in ,imb-r is
estimated at nearly iif.f'hih- million
l.osr,i feet. valued al ai-nui $50, 800.
asi ,h- damage In s.s,hs sse~ih and
forage is estimated al si-sat sii".-
oss mailing q total ot siss,at tie:.-
s.s. Nissl, - p-r r,n' Of this loss.
haery-r. -as incurred on private
lands siihia the forrest. sb~r- &c
p.r .sn, .t III. fires had sh-if osix-
ia.
Oar eHsoArasins feature 10 that
,.s ,as,i nanss-r os fir-~ set hs rail-
saaa locomotives ~as s@asvrts s,os~
s.an in thss G.s-e-aias scar ssi rsr'
s-tsr-.t--i onis ts r~s sess nt all is-ss
ss asainst n-asis - r-F coat ~
sa1mii,s sna other ~hsinss 10 the
tssis was considerably, irss shss In
ists This irai.s,.s ssfs i'lstnif.
Ne. GfAs.s SAYS. that the public u
AZ sk-ains so the hs-i nj spAsk AZ
.sss-ss aaa sar- -ish sarin.s II sss
~c-sss
tsss iss for tie sessos a. she ia
crease IN ansnssSs af tir.s. tss forest
.r fiad. ,hF.- hsaih .sas~s:
Mrs, a. all the uArsrsssieesrs
ei-~,,ie si.sns ~hi.h The ~hes~ sssis
Of California ., The -sa Al . snas
ssF season ard SGT. ainosS sisul.
tsas..s.is. s'-oas :ss nsv~s Tire sss
tire. <as .y iishssiss IN Cs'isossss
sssnasa nearly ;. p~s ssss of she
,s-s fir~s ps the aaIisaAi florists Of
she sssl~ fson al eaus~. ara ~rt~
asasr ssaa hal. of the s.s;i lsshs-
aias-s~s fires in Al. ss~ '~~sss aos~
.sa,-s s-rostinss
Ia ,hr .~~sni r.as-. there v~s~
:s: ,if-s ~hirh started outside sac
i..rs.s. of ~tish ca ~ese .safres
BIS ,hs sn,esnments iif~ Hshirss
s--sas~ ,ses f-ashe-s the forest s~nass
sa.i.~. ss ssSia.s s:i which started
en- os.,s;de ar~as in 1919 itn~sssr.
shs ps-rrrst.n at such fires 10 s's
ihus~ ~hi.h she ssfskr hsiiIsa With
"a. shcu, N. same TOT ,s'. ana
1918.
The Other Increased .auss pf sssrs
sas is.s-naissts.s. hat this ,sssvase
vas soatin-a To ihs~~ sss'ss. Assas.
sa.. California and Otesse. sli 9th
-s. ssaaias a marked scefvsses W
she as iasradtasp fire. rs v~sr
in Arkansas. tss - Cslitesuis aao
-: in Os-s.n. ~hcsv tse brothers
~.sr taesn sS nave srs s~tsnsy.'~o
os oec forest alone Ths>r s1d osh-
rs in.c,diari.s ~.sc. ri c-ursc. 49,
,cr.'- dealt sish by the lsr. IN
the Afhsnsa. sos~ss. too. II hss ''sr"
a.eur-,a that tho ist fif-s sassr~-i
un.,~t irc general h~sdiax II ""stasn
unknown" ~cr~ largely insvndSasS.
In California .h. inrsndtsrs ttrr~
ss- LARGELY st,rihuseh to what -
known Sc tho ''itshi.harn,ns ,hepty
" bi.s advances the areumces that
forest. shs,lJ lsc burned over ffe-
a,icn,iy to prevent shc accumuission
Of debris. The forcs, service con-
slider. ,hi. a prrniciou. theory he
.suse Il scars the standing .sms'ct
and thus reduces Us values u reer
tho sol, of ts ability In rctat"
moisture AMI cstcctuaiiy prevents the
,errr.,uc, icr Of ,he forest. since eacn
s,,r< destroy all ,rpc scc-',ins "ef"sr
they hs,. a chance to sc, start.
In 1879. lightning caused more
fires than any other agency. followed
.l,scl, by railroads. campers and in.
,rpdiarics. in the order given. IN
,.i=. however. the fires caused hy
lightning cutnuwtsr.d the next near
-, cause by more than three to oae.
y.xI- fp n,.r