The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1920-07-02
STARTING FOREST FIRE
COSTS SHEEP HERDER <s,OSO.O'

An agreement was reached last
week to settle a case Of long standing
between the United States forest ser
vice and c. E. Arneson OF MaDton'
Wash, arising out OF q disastrous lor-
est fire which occurred in the oka-
hogan national forest three years 9
this summer and which the service
claimed vas the result Of the. carelese-
ness of Arneson. The settlement nn4i-
ly agreed upon vas the assessment OF
a fine of So, 900 in cash. which Araesoh
paid rather than proceed further IN
the courts. :.
Arneson was herding a band o.
sheep in the Hidden Lake section
when a fire broke out there. and being
in an isolated section Of the forest
with poor trails. the flames u a
big start before the forest fire fighters
were able to make any headwav IN
fighting them. The fire ragged for sew
eral weeks and covered an immense
area, destroying many thousands oil
acres of timber. Finally the forest
men got the upper hand and exrng-
uished the flames.
Indications pointed to Arneson as
the man guilty of letting the fire gel
started but there was NO Absolute
proof of the fact and the government
proceeded on the theory with circum-
stantial evidence only. The defendan
put up a stiff fight in the federal cour'
at Spokane and the case dragget
along until last week when an agree
ment was reached as noted above
whereby Arneson was to pay a fine o
s., 900 and the government was II
drop the case.
Too many people who use the nat
ional forest upon the regulations
set down by the governments repre-
s~entatives as unnecessary and burden
some restrictions and are inclined Il
disregard them, but the experience d
this man should set all users of the
forest o thinking about the lines .
precaution and safety first"
Only last week a homesteader ap
peared in the local justice court ant
paid a fine of SO for burning brusl
without a permit. The case woult
probably not have been called to thu
attention of the fire authorities hat
not this mans brush fire got beyon.
his control and burned yer q consid
cradle area of two of his neighbor',
lands. He was given q minimum fin
but it is hardly probable that other Of
tenders will get Oft 20 easily a. a
fire wardens promise 10 push to tn
limit each case of this kindfthat comes
up in the future.
The local forest headquarters re
ceived word yesterday OF two fires Of
the old Chelan forest that had Appar
entity been set out by carless campers
One covered an area of some 100 acre
before it was gotten under contro
This is going to be q bad year for for
est fires according to all indication
and all campers who 90 into tn
woods should take extra precaution
in the matter of putting out cam,
fires and Isl special are not to thro,
away cigar OF cigarette butts or IA
bacco ashes without first seeing tina
all fire has been extinguished there
from.
Forest Supervisor p. 7. Harris an
nounces the following lookout ap
pointments for the ensuing fire seasol
on the Okanogan forest: Fred Cole
Bucks Peak: Chas. Bossuot. Leeche
Mountain: Colin Heath, .Lookou
Mountain. These men are now on tn,
job. To date no fires have been re
ported from the Okanogan forest re
serve proper.-Okanogan I%ndepeuden,