Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-01
FOREST FIRE CONFERENCE
 TO BE HELD THIS MONTH

The state forester has sent out an in- vitation to a large number of woodland 1 owners and others interested to attend i a forest fire conference at the state capitol on August 10th. The purpose of this meeting is to bring out suggestions for the improvement of the fire pre- vention organization.
 The past spring was one of the worst fire seasons since records have been kept. It was due to combination of circum- stances. In the first place when the ground was extremely dry there were several days, especially the last of April. when there was an unusually strong wind. Throughout the Connecticut woodlands there was large number of chestnut trees which had been killed during recent years by the bark dis ease. Most of the trees were still standing since they were too small to make ties, and were in a condition to burn readily. Fire was easily carried by strong wind into the tops of these trees and ran from one tree top to anoth- CT. There were cases where sparks were carried across state highways rivers and even reservoirs and started new fires at points far distant from where the men were fighting. Another factor which added to the heat of the fires this year in some sections, especially on the higher hills. was the large number of limbs and tree tops on the ground as l the result of the ice storm last winter. MT. Hawes states that there were 1000 fires during the three months of March, April and May, whereas there were only 6S9 fires in the whole of last year. Seventy-nine thousand acres mostly of woodland were burned over. 1 In fact. nearly five per cent of all the woodland of the state was burned some of 1t very severely. It Is these disas- i trous although infrequent fire seasons which makes 1t impracticable for insur- ance companies to insure standing tim i Der. The total loss from these fires is ] conservative1y estimated at half a mil lion dollars, and with the exception of a small part represented by buildings and manufactured lumber, this is a net loss to the owners. It Is the aim of the state forester to make timber property
 sufficiently safe so that 1t may eventu-
 ally be insured at a fair rate. and the purpose of the coming meeting Is to dis
 cuss methods of improving the efficiency
 of the fire prevention organization both
 by legislation and otherwise. Woodland
 owners who are especially interested in
 this problem are invited to attend and make suggestions.
 The discussion will be on the follow
 ing general topics: Means of Decreas
 ing the Fire Menace; Reaching Fires
 Immediately; Methods of Fighting Fir,
 and Fire Fighting Equipment.
 It was noticeable that some of th'
 worst and most destrouctive fires of tn.
 season occurred on areas which had re
 gently been cut clean. A public nuis ance had been virtually created by thi
 slash. for fires once under way in sucl
 a situation could not be stopped al the boundary lot and damaged man. , other owners.
 The most expensive fire of the season
 which cost the state and New Have
 county ss61 to extinguish gained head , way in this way on large area recentl cut over by one of the brass companies . . Whether large forest areas are 70 be de stroyed in this way and conditions suit able for future fires created is a matte ' for the people of the state to decld, . Much can be done through state apprc
 priations in the purchase of additions fighting equipment. but it is practical
 impossibleto prevent these destructiv ? fires, so long as large areas of dry slas : are created. As everyone knows. fire e burn very slowly through well manage ], forests from which the dead wood hs ,. been removed and the proper distribl e tion of belts of clean forest woul = doubtless do much to eliminate the: l. disastrous fires.
 The enforcement of existing laws vi
 also be discussed at the meeting. m
 ty-three convictions were secured durir 2 the past season but in most cases II = fines imposed by the justices were onl f s or s1o. In view of the destructio
 of hundreds of thousands of dollal V worth of property these fines are insigni V icsnt. Until the judicial branch of Il t state government appreciates the ser = ousness of these fires, and the inposs
 bility of building up good forests long as they occur, 1t will be difficu t to prevent them.
 ' Indications are that the proposed mee y ing will bring out some interesting di
 cussion and will be well worth atten'
 ing.