Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-04-22
Or FOREST
FIRES HAS BEGUN
Plantation Burned
over in Catlin's Woods
State Protection Serv.
ice Better This Year.

Tho forest fire season has begun. Yes.
terday morning at 1880 o'clock there was
a fire in Catlin's woods. back of Cen.
tennial Field. 1t ran through grass and
lea yes and a hvo-acrc tract or planta-
ton was burned over, probably killing
most Of the trees set out three years
ago. State Forester \. r. Tiawes had
charge of the mon who fought the fire
and in a. minutes ii was extinguished.
The fire was probably started by small
boys who make the woods a playground.
Another fire was reported TO the forestry
department yesterday at Leicester.
Cooperation Of lumber companies and
and owners with the State forestry de.
partment for fire protection Is better
his year than ever before, Middlebury
college. now the owner ~ timberland
beuucathed to it 10y Joseph Battell, and
the Grand Trunk railway are aking
especial interest in this work. The Rut-
land Light & Power company is putting
q telephone line to the top Of Mt. Carmel
wharc the State will keep n man on
watch. Mortimer Proctor who owns Pico
mountain. has put a telephone line to
( tn" summit and the state will maintain
a lookout there, also.
The State has look-outs on Gore and
COW mountains In Essex county: on
Burke mountain in the town Of Burke.
a station erected by Elmer Darling: on
the State forest on Cancels Hump. on
| Stratton mountain and In the town OF
/ Townsend in the south of the state. Four
patrolmen are working on the Long Trail
between E%illington and Lincoln noun
tains. each man covering IL to- 20 miles
a day. During the wet weather these
men will work on tn" trail, the expense
of these patrols being borne by tho
State and the federal government.
4 new association has been formed this
year for the purpose Of guarding against
forest fires. 1t il the Vermont Timber
land Owners association with head
quarters at Bloomfield. The principal
members are the Connecticut Valley
Lumber COMPANY, Tho Berlin Mills a,i
the Odell Manufacturing company. -Four
patrolmen are engaged by the associn-
ton and also one lookout.
There is also a patrolman on the Grand
| Trunk railway between the stations of
Summit and Lake who is paid by the
State, the FITZGERALD Land e. lumber com
pan and the Grand Trunk. The benefit
of this patrol has been proved as no
, fire has occurred on the Grand Trunk
line in this wild section during the past
two years which have been tho dryest
on record. Before this precaution was
; taken. several hundred acres were burn
! ed over there each year.
Middlebury College will put up three
telephone lines and maintain A patrol
man in the vicinity of Breadloaf NOUN
tain. which has not before received this
measure of protection.
The forestry department has fire
wardens in each of $40 Vermont towns
and in the larger ones whore forests
abound there are also district wardens.
The selectmen have power to appoint
fire wardens up to March !. subject to
the approval OF the State forester. II
they fail to do this, wardens are APP
pointed by the forester. He also has
power to appoint district wardens where
he deems that conditions demand.
The largest area burend over last year
/ was a tract Of 900 acres in Mt. Tabor.
This fire occurred in June, due TO "A bad
slash ,tops and limbs Of trees) and was
supposedly started by lightning. MAJ
has been the worst month for fires dur
ins the past two years. More than halt
acres in extent,
The fire wardcns receive s. a day for
actual service and they are empowered
to hire helpers who are paid the same
rate as for road work, about sI.75 a day.
r. NJ. Ross. one Of the state forester's
assistants, will leave to-day on a tour of
inspection of fire inspection work. This
year he is provided with a motorcycle and
will be able to cover the ground much
more rapidly than in former years. The
system prnNi6eS that Inrinr u-at tit,os