Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-04
ANNUAL FOREST FIRES
OPEN WITH BIG BOOM
Hundreds of Destructive Fires Reported Careless
Users OF Pipes and Cigarettes Held Responsible for
Many of the 81 500 Forest Fires Annually.

WASHINGTON. June 3.-The recent
period OF dry weather In the North
east. says bulletin issued by the
national Lumber Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION. has opened the annual for
est fire season with boom. Hun
crcds OF destructive fires are reported
rom Maine. Massachusetts. New Jer-
scv. New York, Pennsylvania. Con
nctticut and other States I'm Penn
sE.vania alone ninety-four forest Tres
were reported to the State Dcp1r:
ment OF Forestry within twenty-fo"r
hours. and fires were raging one da V
in eighteen counties
Notwithstanding the impro yemen;s
that have been made in recent ,,nrs
in means Of preventing, reporting and
lighting forest fires. comparatively
little net Roadway Is being made out
side OF the national forests and cor
tain. regions that enjoy the benefits
or state and privately organized pro
lection. Sources of fires appear to in
crease with improved facilities for
dealing with them. The result is
the nationally disgraceful fact that
even In This generation OF depleted
timber supplies and costly forest
products. the United States is losing
through forest fires about twice az
great an area OF forest as IL cuts
down. according TO the estimate Of
The United States Forest Service.
32.50o Fires Each Yenr.
There are about 32.50O forest fires
cach year. covering an area of 1854
600 acres. Not only do these fires
occasion an immense loss of ,.oung
and mature timber. but they arc The
chef obstacle to reforestatiou and
the maintenance Of an adequate ma
t'onal wood product supply. Colon. Il
". Is. Greeley. chief OF the Gaired
states Forest Service. estimates tina,
% per cent OF the cut-ovcr forest
lands OF III" country would retorest
themselves il fires could be kent ont
Some practical lumbermen consider
mat reforcstation is 90 per cent a
problem Of protection against fires.
IL mas been graphically stated that
the amount of timber destroyed by
tend the Atlantic City Boardwalk
seventy-hve feet wide along the coast
Tor eighty miles. build a fve-room
house every hundred feet on both
sides OF road from New York to
Chicago. or enough to put up 100 900
houses. which would be sutiicien, To
shelter population OF the sig. Of
that OF Minneapolis or Washington.
Although so per cent OF all forest
20 >, 4
II is not possible for even the we'll
patrolled national forests to keen fires
from starting within their limits. q,
the 5.lal fires in the Western national
forests in 1921, 1900 were started by
human agency. mostly carelessness. al,
which 'a2 were by smokers.
Tobacco Users Careless.
Nearly 100000 persons visited the
western national forests last wear
ana these visitors account for most
OF the woods fires starting with camp
hrc. pipes. cigars or cigarettes TO
he!p reduce the danger from the to-
hacco source the United States forest
rangers and other field officers of the
iorest service are Dledging them
selves not to smoke I'm the woods in
regions and seasons of danger. So
great is the responsibility of the to.
bacco habit for the present loss and
future peril to the forests and lum-
Der supply of the country that the
National Board OF Fire Underwriters
and the forest service have endeav
ored TO persuade the manufacturers
or tobacco that the moral duty rests
on them TO educate their patrons to
be careful. The national convention
or Insurance Commissioners. the Fire
Marshals' Association of North Amer
lea. the International Association of
rire Engineers and the Railway Fire
protection Association are among the
organizations that have adopted reso
buttons regarding the responsibilities
ana duties OF tobacco manufacturers.
~ is hoped that every maker Of
cigars cigarettes and smoking to-
oacco VIII put fie-warning notice in
each package of his product. Similar
action on the part Of manufacturers
OF small arms and ammunition is also
desirable.
The Federal government. besides
It's hre protection costs for it's own
HGHna.u1z.c,.nrTtT