The Washington times., 1925-06-13
CALF 0RNIA FIRE
LOSSES REACH
MILLIONS
State Suffered One Of Her
Worst Years From Forest
Ravages
sAN FRANcIsCo. Gil. June

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, June is.
California Forests got the worst
sipgeing II their history during
1924
The States forest fire bill for
the past year was over $4,000 900,
according to- statistics made Dublic
today by the local district head
quarters OF the United States Fdr-
est Service.
Losses sustained and cost 81 fire
fighting were the highest OF any
season since systematic protection
OF the timber lands and brush
areas Of the State was started
eighteen years ago. the statistics
show.
Figures compiled by the state
Forester and the Federal Forest
Service show that total OF 1851
fires occurred in California during
1924, as against an annual average
OF 1900. The acreage burned over
by these cOnflagrat ions was ,0S5
O39 acres, Of which 536.a99 acres
was timber land and 548,l4O acres
bursi and chaparra1 areas nrirlci-
pally valuable for watershed pro-
lection and recreation.
1851 Fires.
OF the total Of 2s667 fires that
were fought during the past year.
IL per cent were man-caused and
20 per cent were started BY lipht-
ming. Smokers were responsible for
81 per cent Of all fires due to
Euman carelessness. and campers
AZ per cent-a total Of 81 per cent.
Incendiaries are charged with 16
per cent Of the man-caused fires;
brush burners 10 per cent: rail.
roads s per cent. numbering opera.
tons 4 per cent, and miscellaneous
causes 10 per cent.
The total fire damage to Federal,
State and private timber ana graz
ing lands and improvements is
estimated at $2,4O2 ST.. No account
Is taken in this total OF the de-
structive effects Of these forest
fires on valuable watersheds that
supply domestic and irrigation
water to cities. towns and ranches.
or to the damage done to popular
recreation areas and the fish and
game that live in the forests.
The cost Of fighting fires in Cali
fornia in 1921 amounted to 1890
542, OF which total the Federal
Government spent 1891, 743; the
State of California with co-operat-
ing counties S138.271 $4,000 Of
which was Federal funds allotted
to the State for fire protection
under the terms Of the Weeks law),
and cooperating agencies, chiefly
numbering operators. $199,52S.
This summary Of the 1924 fire
season in California does not IN
clude. according to officers Of the
Forest Service, the number OF fires,
cost of suppression and damage
sustained by counties which have
their own fire protective organiza-
ton, such as Los Angeles and
Fresno counties: nor do tho totals
include unreported but known
losses and expenditures resulting
from fires on private logging oper-
atoms.
The report further shows that
timber land owners OF California
are participating to a large extent
in the protection from fire OF their
timber and operations. Approx
mately 4,429,531 acres, or SS per
cent Of all private timber holdings
in the State within or . adjacent 10
the national forests are now given
fire protection by the United States
Forest Service under cooperative
agreement.
The California Forest Protective
Association estimates that the cost
to the lumber industry Of California
for fire protection, exclusive Of
damage losses, amounted to $685.
900 in 1924.
I'VE must guard CALIFORNIA;
forests as we do our homes" said
District Forester Paul G. Reding-
ton, Of the Federal Forest Service.
These forests are the heritage Of
every citizen of the State, and good
citizenship demands that we pro-
tect them from the ravages Of fire."