Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-08-14
SMOKERS CAUSE
|. MANY FIRES N
T|MBERCOUNTRY
IS Out of 1928 Fires in New
Mexico National Forests
Were Caused BY Care
IesSneSS of Smokers.

Experience has compelled the
men of the forest service to recog-
nize cigarettes as a large factor IN
the origin of forest fires. Many
lumberjacks, campers, hunters
and fishermen, however, still stout
" maintain that cigarettes and cl-
CARS are not often to blame. 1t Is
sometimes minated that this Is
Just a convenient place to put re-
sponsibility when no other cause
can be ascertained.
In q season of drouth such as the
nresent summer in the southwest
when the forests are all as dry as
kindling wood, when the towns are
sweltering and when everyone VINO
can get away is spending MS Vaca-
ton in the mountains, it makes d
lot of difference whether or not
,amains of lighted cigatettes thrown
rarelessly down in the woods are
actually sources of forest fires.
Reports on file in the district or
flee of the forest service at Alpu-
ouerque, according to District For-
ester f. C, w. Pooler, show that In
Arizona last year Of total of 2Ii
fires that occurred during the flre
season. 80 were unquestionabiy
caused by smokers and. in New
Mexico IS of the 1913 for the year
stand to the charge Of careless to-
bacco users.
Notwithstanding the conclusive
findings of careful Investigations
men are still met in the WOODS VINO
raise the same old question while
wear by year smoker-caused fires
roar merrily on and the courts arc
forced to teach by fines and jan
"Na-h-h! Cigarettes don't never
start no fires" affirmed a husky
logger. lust the other day to
forest ranger and some Other
woodsmen on a large timber OPP
Grafton back in a New Mexico Ma
tional forest.
The ranger called the challeng'
4 and invited him to try it out. ThF
logger flung his cigarette butt IRON
him just at random and the resui
was watched. 1t fell on dry needles
near an old down pine. When i
had consumed Itself the place was
= evarnined. The needles were
scorched but no fire occurred:
: "Ya-h told yuh So eXulted th'
logger but the experiment was no
completed. Two more butts Wer'
thrown away. Both of these a.
lighted on rotten wood such as i
living about Almost everywhere OF
the forest floor.
The tobacco and wrappers 1ur
nished fuel for ten minutes. Tel
minutes Is time enough for traVei
ing smoker to be we'll away from
Ithe spot and forgetful Of the CIR
! cumstances but at the end OIL ina
: time beneath and around each ~
tie pile of ashes in the tlnder-Hh
a punk there was a circle Oh sloWlh'
ember an inch across
= No wind was blowing so the log
ger. in reality an open minded Tel
!. low. in spite of his prejudices, j
order to be fair and to hurry IN
experimeut initiated one. Just Tn
centlest breeze was set going. wit
q his hat, Both of the spots brok
. into flame.
!, "Wull III be hanged" calculate
a the fellow Of big trees. "Seein
= b'leevin'." ,,,,.o
d A dozen matches were Hghte
u and Tipped away as is commo
5 with many smokers. one out {
d every four of them promptly starr
- ed blazes. ,
5 1T is a noticeable thing say
!. District Forester Pooler' tnt
u careful, thinking men VINO take az
" light in the woods and VINO va ie
: the forests as places for recreatlo
mr. snort. never flip matches ava
y Thev break them in two and arc
u them in the trail. Neither do the
&c fling cigarette or cigar butts or pil
- ashes off to one side where th'
may fall into forest litter. Th'
:, put them down IN pare places ar
- grind out the last spark with the
n heels"