The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-11-07
new RECORD IS MADE
IN COST OF FIRES
Final Report on Forest Fires Will Be
Made in Conference at Great
Falls November 17-18.

Great Falls, Nov. THAT the fires
in the national forests included in the
district governed from the offices at
Missoula and of which the jefferson
national forest with headquarters in
this city is a part, have both cost
more for controlling them and in loss
of property in the form of timber
this year than ever before is forecast
ed as the showing of the report for
the forest district soon to be issued.
That the same statement might be
made concerning the jefferson forest
is probably a fact, though there are
no forecasts being made by the forest
ry officials on that subject. However,
definite facts will be available when
the fire review board comes to Great
Falls to confer with Supervisor w.
B. Wiley of this forest and the rang
ers under his jurisdiction, the on
ference is to be held here November
17-18.
The purpose of the fire review board
is to discuss the subject Of fires in
the forest, their control and mean of
fighting them, checking the situation
with the supervisors, hearing reports
of the rangers as to the needs of their
respective districts as means in help
ing to prevent fires and in general to
strengthen the organization of the
forestry service in the matter of check
ing the fire losses in the national for
-ests.
The members of the board will be
detailed from the district office. This
is the first time that such a course
has been followed by the forestry de-
partment and it is the direct reflec-
ton of the serious problem of fire
control during the last summer sea-
son when the losses were so heavy.
There has been no year which close
ly approaches the last one in the mat
ter of fire losses, considering both the
item of cost Of fighting and the item
of property loss in timber destroyed.
The only year that has a semblance to
it is 1910 which heretofore had been
the big year for loss and costs of
fighting the flames.
The cost Of fighting fires in the
Missoula district have been tabulated,
it is now known that the total will
show more than two million dollars
and it is thought it may exceed two
and one-half million. That is merely
for the work and expenses in conduct
ing the effort to control the flames.
The property loss will u into a
very large figure as in some Of the
forests where there were fires, much
valuable timber was either destroyed
or badly damaged.
Supervisor Wiley of the jefferson
forest is expecting an interesting ses-
sion when the fire review board comes
to Great Falls as there are many
features which will be brought up for
discussion that it is hoped may mean
more effective organization for fight
ing the fires in the forests in the event
that any future year presents any
thing like the serious problems Of this
season.
In the local office during the last
season the work of fighting flames
in the forest required much of the
energy of the force for not only did
it happen there were problems within
the jefferson forest but this office
had to cooperate with the adjoining
forests and help provide the forces to
combat the flames in other forests,
particularly those in the Flathead
country in the vicinity of Coram and
other points where very bad fires
were constantly menacing large reas.