The Mankato free press., 1921-12-23
Survey of Work In the
Department Made
FOREST FIRE HAZARDS
Season Just Closed 'Dryest and
Most Dangerous In History
Of Service
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch. ]

st. Paul, December 19.-Extensive
drainage without control, the increas-
ed number Of tourists, hunters and
fishermen and the drying out of soil
in logged over ana burned over terri
tories in the Northern sections OF
Minnesota, are the main contributing
factors in increasing the fire hazards
in the tmbered sections OF Minneso-
ta's north woods, according to the an
nual report OF w. T. Cox, state for
ester.
The increased settlement OF these
sections is also added to the fire haZ
ards, the report says, The report fur
ther explains that the cutting of tim
ber on the watersheds no doubt lowers
the water level on extensive peat beds
and prevents the natural control OF
the water supply. AS result OF these
conditions, the report states, many
fires were started in the peat NUM- :
ber of them originating along ditch
roads grades and spreading through
the dry grass to the bogs, during the
past year. ".
The season just closed has been
one of the driest and most dangerous
fire seasons in the history OF the for
est service, Mr.. Cox reported. The
uTSI uT6 Ol LiIe lS61 SSdSou, 1CSOiuhiS
to the report, was April 3, and from
that time until November z there
were a total of 706 fires in the state.
in the Moose Lake Mile Lacs ter
ritory," the report continues, where
many of the most dangerous fires oc-
Cured, almost every small stream is
dry. Mile Laos is the lowest settlers
have ever seen it, and many OF the
wells in the district, some of which
have been in use for the past thirty
years, have gone dry this fall, and
some of the settlers will be compelled
to seek new water supplies for their
stock this winter. -,
Grass Fires In November
Grass fires were reported as late
as November Is. Under normal con-
ditions the early growth of vegetation
in the woods causes the spring flre
season to be of short duration. This
spring, however, the unusually cold
weather, together, with light rainfall
retarded this growth and prolonged
the season. ..
rainfall in the northwestern por
ton of the state during the spring and
early summer was practically normal,
except for June, when the whole state
was dry and continued to remain so
until the middle of September.
One Of the factors in holding down
the numerous fires in the constant
patrolling of the timbered areas by
trained forest rangers and patrolmen,
who are proficient in woods craft and
fire fighting, the forester reports. Ex-
perience of the past year, he said, has
proven without question that patrol,
IL intensive, would practically elim1n-
ate the danger Of large fires.
Until such time as funds are avail
ale through state appropriations or
raised through some system OF taxa
ton, to provide a large enough force
of experienced patrolmen from early
in spring to the end of the fires sea-
son, the state forestry department
will be unable to cope with the situ'
alton III satisfactory manner. The
appropriations, although considerably
increased for fire protection work,
are as yet not sufficient to maintain
ratrpl and supervise auxiliary forces
over the 20,000,000 acres now being
given protection by the forest serv.
ice, Mr.. Cox added. "The public,
the report concludes, "is beginning 10
realize that 1t is good insurance to
provide funds sufficient for the pro-
per patrol of Minnesota forests.