The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-09-02
FOREST FIRE THREAT
us ALARMING IN WEST
CONDITIONS AT HIGHLY DAN
GEROUS STAGE, OFFICIALS
FEDERAL SERVICE SAY.
HAVOC OF 1910 is RECALLED

Men and Equipment Modified at
Strategic Points for Protective Bat
tie. Drouth Stricken Area Covers
A Large Territory
WASHINGTON, D.. C.-The fierce
forest fires that have been raging this
summer, especially in California, bring
to mind the great national disaster
that occurred in August, 1910.
Fourteen years ago the United
States was startled by stories of gi-
gantic forest fires in the northwest,
and when on the morning of August
10th the telegraph wires carried the
story of terrible confagration driv-
en- by high winds the country was APP
palled, even though the extent of the
disaster was not realized.
But within a few days the whole
nation knew that the most destructive
forest fires recorded in the history of
the United States were being fought
in the northwest, and that northern
Idaho and western Montana were the
scenes of the fiercest battles with the
RED Enemy of the Forests" ever
fought by Uncle Sans rangers.
Situation Again Dangerous.
Conditions in the west this summer
are again at the highly dangerous
point, and officials of the forest SER
vice are anxious. At the end of July
10000 acres of land inside the boun-
daries of the national forests in Cal
ifornia alone had been fre-swept, the
worst fires ever experienced this early
in the season. Large fires have also
occurred in Washington, Oregon, Ida
no, Montana, Utah, Colorado, New
Mexico and Arizona, The forest SER
vice is on the alert. Men and equip
ment have been modified at strategic
points. The battle with the "Red Enc
my" is on in earnest. Human lives
and private property are at stake in
this relentless war.
With the cooperation of the public
to prevent man-caused forest tlress
which now form so per cent OF the
total, the forest service believes that
it has a good chance to cope success
fully with its dangerous foe, particu-
larly if nature will refrain from caus-
ing hurricanes and give the drought
stricken areas some relief, and that
there will not be a repetition OF the
1910 disaster
100000 Acres Ruined in 1910
Before the flames died away that
year over 100000 acres of national
forest land was laid waste. The tim
Der destroyed totaled over 6,OO0,00O,-
600 board feet and the money loss tor
standing timber stood at $Z4,0O0,OOO.
These figures do not take into account
the losses on privately owned forest
land. Human life was also lost in the
great 1910 fires. A total of 70 men
persisted in the battle with the flames.
The entire summer OF l9IO was
marked by severe droughts in most OF
the west. The winter snowfall and
spring rains were unusually light, so
that, with the coming of summer, the
supply of surface moisture rapidly
dried away and an abnormal and
steadily increasing number OF fires
followed. Steady high winds were
combined with almost complete TAIL
ure of the light summer rainfall and
bv the middle of August the forest
service was straining every resource
to hold in check the multiplying hres'
1OO-Mile Battle Front.
Then. on August 20, in northern
Idaho, heavy wind developed into
hurricane. 1t was SO powerful that
men were unable to remain in their
saddles. Smothering fires were famed
into action and swept beyond control.
Within "a hours there was practically
a continuous fire along a battle front
Of over 100 miles in length.
Early in September the fires were
subdued. If it had not been Tor the
hard work of the forest offlcers the
losses of public and private property
would have been many times what
thew were and very probably many
more lives would have been lost.