East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-05-31
PERMITS FOR SLASH
BURNING REQUIRED
AFTER 1ST OF JUNE
STATUTORY FOREST FIRE SEA-
son BEGINS IN OREGON
TOMORROW.
Conditions at Present Offer Little
Danger Anywhere in the Pacific
Northwest; Wet Weather Has Pre-
vented Usual Spring Cleaning up
Which May be Menace.

PORTLAND, Ore, May S1-The
statutory forest fire season, during
which permits for slash burning and
ether precautions are required, be-
gins tomorrow with conditions offer
ing little immediate danger anywhere
in the Pacific northwest, according
to bulletins received by the Western
Forestry and Conservation Associa-
tion, the clearing house for all pri,
vate and public forest protective
agencies. The wet weather has, how
ever. prevented the usual spring
cleaning up of loggers and settlers
slashings, thus leaving a greater me-
mace when dangerous weather arrives.
Except in rare cases, with unusual
care and under permit and supervis-
ion, it will not be safe to burn now
before fall and the winters accumu-
lation will create serious hazard all
summer For this reason prepara-
tions are being made for strict en-
forcement of all fire laws, especially
those dealing with clearing and with
spark emitting engines.
Warning the public of approaching
weather conducive to forest fires will
this year be recognized by the United
States Weather Bureau as a necessary
service comparable to storm and frost
warnings In addition to the tele-
graphic forecasts Of hot and windy
weather usually furnished the private
and public patrol forces, predictions
will also be mailed to post offices in
forest regions for conspicuous post
ing where they may be seen by people
likely to use fire in clearing and by
campers and travellers. A special card
has been devised. bearing fire pre-
cautions on the margin.
Idaho timber owners patrol asso-
Citations, in cooperation with the For
est Service and the University of Ida
no, are preparing for the most in
tensive development of the lookout
system ever attempted in fire preven-
ton anywhere. Lookout stations on
mountain peaks, with range finders to
locate fires and telephone communi-
cations to notify the fighting forces
Immediately, have rapidly grown in
favor in nearly all systems. In Ida
no, parties have just been despatched
to the field to establish true meridi-
ans for all lookouts by means of So
lar observations. Panoramic relief
maps of the country visible from Sc
lected stations will then be made,
with accurate contours of elevation
established by engineers, and the OBJ
servers will also be technically train
ed men. Where desirable, weather
instruments will be installed. The re-
suits of this work during the coming
season, especially in learning how
much it permits decreasing patrol
forces. will determine its extension
next year.
Full patrol will not be established
until late in June, but Oregon, Wash.
ington. Idaho and Montana will re-
port forces extending and rearing
telephone lines and trails and that
the severe winter occasioned unusual
windfall and breakage. In some regi-
ons the fire hazard is considerably in
creased by such debris The auto
mobile will be used much more in fire
work this year than ever before, many
associations having found that head
wardens and inspectors can accom-
plish so much more that it pays to
provide them On the other hand,
telephone building is somewhat dis
couraged by the war price Of wire.