Milford chronicle., 1928-04-20
FIREMEN AID STATE
In FOREST FIRE FIGHT
rCOntinued from first bagel

COHItHucH JI0Ht H't ReSeI
The State Forestry Department
has recently distributed a quantity
of forest fire tools to the various
cooperating volunteer fire cOmpan'
les of the state. This equipment
will better enable the companies to
this fire and found it unnecessary
TO call the company, as the local
help had the fire under control.
The Glendale Fire Company eX-
tinguished three forest fires ON
March %. These fires occurred in
a stand of young pine. The COM
pany saved the property owners
several thousand dollars damage.
On March 2S the company again
combatted a forest fire. This fire
was extinguished by the company
before any tangible damage was
suffered.
On March - the Milton and Lewes
fire companies were called to eN-
tinguish a forest fire caused by the
land owner burning off new ground.
High winds carried the fire into the
wo5ds, causing a serious loss. Due
10 the effective work of the citizens
of the community, aided by the
Milton and Lewes fire companies,
The loss was cut to a minimum.
April 8 the MillsbOro Fire Com
panv extinguished a twenty-five
acre forest fire which is estimated
TO have damaged and destroyed ma
terial to the extent of 100000. rms
fire was caused by brush burning.
On April S the Milton Fire Com
pany, aided by a number OF local
residents, eXtinguished forest nre
on the land of Geo. R. POstles. This
fire was caused by a hiker throwing
away a cigarette and caused the
land owner a considerable amount
of damage.
On April the Aetna Hose, Hook
and Ladder Company of Newark,
extinguished a fifty-five acre woods
and grass fire caused by the p. b.
and w. Railroad. On April 9Th
thirty-acre fire caused by the same
agent was extinguished. The dam
age caused by these fires amounts
to over 100000.
Carelessness with fire in or near
woodland is responsible for the
greater number of forest fires, and
although a fire in this state may
not reach extensive proportions, it
nevertheless, can destroy in a few
minutes trees that took Nature de-
cades to grow. They not only de-
stroy the present growth but also
what is termed the prospective
growth-seeds lying in the litter
on the forest floor. Forest fires are
not respectors of persons or prop
erty; they burn everything in their
path whether it be timber, buildings,
nesting birds, animals or occasion
ally a human being, and leave !
nothing but charred ruins in their |
wake.
The tremendous increase in travel |
due to the automobile has intro
duced another careless cause of for
est fires. People travelling through |
wooded sections in their cars, I'M
mindful of the inflammable condi
ton of the forest, toss away light |
ed matches, cigars and cigarettes
and in this way cause fires. Also,
there is the careless camper, who
builds a fire to cook his food but
upon breaking camp leaves it un-
extinguished. Such carelessness
should be punishable by a fine suf-
fcient to remind the offender that
the safety of Delaware's forests is
to be considered along with his
All of our native pines, with the
exception of the scrub pine, are
quite fire resistant. This is due to
the heavy cOrky bark present on the
lower portions of the boles of the
trees, which acts as an excellent
non-cOnductOr of heat and thus pre-
vents serious damage to the cam
blum layer-(the tender growing
tissue Of a tree). Nevertheless,
some damage to a tree, is always
done by a forest fire. A close ex-
animation of the annual rings of
freshly cut stump, will not only
Indicate how severe a former fire
was, but will also indicate how
Ong ago it occurred. Rarely does a
rec entirely recover from the eff
,ects of a forest fire and although,
no apparent injury has
been done, the damage manifests it
self in slower growth.
Theodore Roosevelt wrote:
Wise forest protection does not
mean the withdrawal of forest re-
sources from contributing their full
share to the welfare of the peo-
Die, but on the contrary, gives the
assurance of larger and more GER
ain supplies. Forest protection is |
lot an end in itself; it is a means l
o increase and sustain the re-
sources of our country and the in {
lustries which depend uDon them"