The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-05-23
Danger Of
Forest Fires
Now Upon Us
Average of 6,969 Blazes Per
Year Caused by Man. Gees
Do Fine Work.
EQUIPMENT NOW
BEING CHECKED

from human CdrelcSSneSS may De
expected in the national forests dur
ing 1910 if American people run
true to form this year, the Forest
Service of the U. S. Department OF
Agriculture predicts. This view is
based upon statistical records OF the
forest service, which show that from
1884 through 1888 an average OF
1868 fires year were caused by
man.
The 1899 season was one of the
worst on record for total number
of fires in the national forests. HUI
man beings and lightning ran a
fairly close race in causing forest
destruction. Careless men, women,
and children were responsible for
1862 forest fires; while lightning,
principal offender of the western
forests, caused 1858 fires. The num-
Der of man-caused fires on National
Forest lands in the eastern half of
the country was more than twice the
number on such lands in the west.
All national forests are intensive
1y protected and thus have a much
lower number of fires than unpro-
tected forest lands which reported
about $4,000 forest fires last year
and sustained about nine-tenths of
the country's total forest fire dam
age as a result of human careless
ness.
Foresters on the 161 national for
ests are either preparing for the
the fire season or are already on
the job to fight any fires that break
out. In the South and East, forest
ers and CCC enrollees have been
actively combating fire during the
early spring fire season, while, on
the western forests, current activi-
ties anticipate q fire season which
usually is worst in the summer
months.
Shows and winds OF winter
months often cause considerable
damage to comnsunicatioh and
transportation facilities in the for
ests SO that forest workers have
been repairing breaks in telephone
lines and reconditiofing lookout
towers and cabins UNLIMITED guests
such as bears, woodchucks, pack
rats, and human marauders also
cause damage to remote lookout and
guard stations. It is essential, the
Forest Service says, that fire pro-
lection facilities be fully maintained
before the first dry lightning storms
of summer occur and the early in
flux of recreationists takes place.
Forest service tractors and road
machines are at work recondition-
ing fire breaks and grading noun
tain and forest roads in order that
transportation may not be hindered
when the fire season starts. Trail
crews, commonly called gypsy
crews, already have started their
rounds of the forest trails, clearing
away trees blown down by the vino
and developing and strengthening
drainage structures to prevent trails
being washed out by freshets.
In forest service fire depots anc
warehouses throughout the West
radios and telephones are being
checked for performance and con
ditioned so that they can be reliec
on when vital communication is re-
quired on the summer fire lines
Thousands of kits of fire-fightint
equipment and balanced rations arr
being made ready for the inevitable
emergency. The mules and horse!
which will be called upon to trans
port the supplies to fire crews anc
camps in remote, roadless areas are
at the moment, in spring training
on planting and maintenance job
after a well-earned period Of com
parative inactivity on the white
range.
Fire forces are hoping this yea
to better last years fire record. Il
1899, the forest service had to com
bat total of 1928 fires exceeding
by more than 5000 fires the annua
average for the preceding 5 years
There is no way to stop lightning
but man-caused fires can be re
duced, the forest service says,
human beings will learn not to b
careless.