Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11
Fires May Bring More
Funds From Congress
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Fiery tongues are tapping up forests
this season to an extent that promises
to cause Congress to open the public
purse much more widely in order that
added protection may be provided.
Every section OF the country has felt
forest fire devastation this year in vary
ing degrees. with results which mean
further heavy losses in merchantable
timber, in young growth and in the In
direct damage Of sojl-iosses which will
be shared by the present and future
generations.
At the moment a serious fire Is
raging in Northern Minnesota, and con-
ditions In washington, Idaho and Mon
tAf1a are causing concern. while the sit
uation In California. recently grave. has
improved. Reports from the South
show considerable FIRE loss. In the East
the danger period has passed with
losses less than those OF last year. It is
in the Northwest. naturally. that FIRE
damage Ia most severe. for in that ter
ritory are the great forests which re-
main in the United States.
Figures of the Forest Service. which
account only for work In national for
ests, show that for the present year to
for fire work were slightly less than In
the corresponding seven months of
1928. but indications are there will be
necessity for extraordinary expense In
the remaining weeks Of the hazardous
season, as in the month Of July just
passed $4,000 was spent In additional
fire protection above the regular ap-
preparation for that purpose. in con-
trast with $4,000 in July last year
Forest Service officials are preparing
to push the campaign OF education
against forest fires which has been well
launched in previous years, as nearly
80 per cent Of the fires are caused by
human agencies and hence are pre-
ventable. Also the area of forest lands
protected against fire steadily is in
creasing as States and private corpora
tions and individuals owning such lands
Join the campaign. States and private
agencies now are spending more pro-
, portionately than is the Federal Gov
eminent for such purposes, although
, the character of the protection afforded
in some areas is not up to standard.
In 1927, the latest year for which a
complete analysis Of the forest fire sit
uation Is available. there were 359. 724.-
900 acres under protection. or 676 per
cent Of the total acreage needing such
protection. The statistics give striking
proof OF the value of fire protection. for
in the protected areas that calendar
year there were IS, 800 fires which burn
, ed over 2,784.000 acres with direct
financial loss of e4,397 900. while In the
ia. ass, 900 acres OF unprotected forest
lands $4,000 fires burned over 35,747,-
900 acres with direct loss of 500, $685.
900. The 1927 figures are lower than
those Of 1926 in the protected area. and
higher for the unprotected forest lands.
Sharp warning was issued last week
by the Forest Service against careless
ness Of tobacco smokers in the woods.
! There is substantial reason for this EN-.
phasis. In 1927 the greatest financial
loss from fires in the protected areas
was due to blases started by smokers,
1875 per cent Of the total. with incen-
diarism second in rank, and lightning
third rs the great cause Of damage.
Lightning is the dread Of the rangers
in a drought season in the West such
as the present: most Of the fires now
causing trouble there are the result of
dry thunderstorms.' during which
! bolts strike frequently without being
followed by the rain which would ex-
tinssiish the A1ltaft flres. the Oregon