The Coconino sun., 1925-07-31
MANCAUSED FOREST FIRES
NATIONAL SCANDAL SAYS.
CHIEF FORESTER GREELEY

tWith $4,000 mancaused fires doing
S35. 900 900 worth of money damage
to the public and private forests OF
THE United States during the calendar
year 1924, the country faces ma
tional scandal" says w. b. Greeley,
chief of the U. S. forest service, IN
comment on the 1924 forest fire re-
port, figures of which have just been
received by District Forester +. e. ".
Pooler.
Only a small number of these man
caused forest fires occurred within
the national forests, according to Mr..
Pooler. not more than 5000 of them
in fact, but because the U. S. forest
service is charged in degree with
responsibility for future timber sup
plies, data has been gathered covering
in so far as possible, all f-Tcst areas
regardless of ownership.
The concern of the American peo-
Pile, the district forester points out,
can not be limited to any kind or class
of forests. The 35 million dollars OF
money damage is an economic loss
that should be resented by every citi-
zen. The actual loss to the nation is
really much greater than that because
! damage to young timber growth,
watersheds, wild life, and recreation,
and losses to the lumber industry, IN
shutdowns, wages and other economic
values are not included.
Every one of the $4,000 mancaused
forest fires in 1924 was preventable,
Mr.. Pooler insists. Lightning is con-
sidered the only natural cause of for
est fires and only $500 or per cent
of the total of $4,000 fires were start
ed by lightning. Analysis of the 1924
statistics shows that incendiary fires
ton the list in division of human
acts that cause forest fires. There
were M 900 incendiary fires. Brush
burning is next with 10000 fires and
smokers third with $4,000 fires. Other
chief causes were railroads, campflres
and numbering.
"Public opinion" says Chief Fores-
ter Greeley in regard to the appalling
| figures for 1924, ''is the greatest sim
/ pie agency with which to combat for
est fires. Federal and state govern
ments are doing their utmost with the
funds and equipment available. 1t is
| high time that this most effective
weapon, an outraged public opinion, is
brought to bear on the problem. It is
/ time that people in general realize
that the man who starts forest fire
/ is. criminal and an enemy to his coun-
try. When 94 per cent of all forest
fires are mancaused it is national
scandal.
While forest fires for the entire ma
tion. according to District Forester
Pooler, run 90 per cent mancaused
against per cent that are set by
lightning, the figures for the Ia ma
tional forests in Arizona and New
Mexico are much more encouraging.
Reports for all southwestern forest
/ lands are NOT available but 1924 fires
on the national forest areas were only
81 per cent mancaused against 63 per
cent caused by lightning.
| Though il is admitted, Mr.. Pooler
states, that 81 per cent of forest fires
caused by man is far too many mas
much as all such fires are preventabie,
the figures are an indication that
! public opinion i'll the southwest has
already begun to regard the preven-
ton of forest fires as personal re-
sponsibility and with such begin
ming, substantial progress can now be
| expected.