The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1940-06-20

National Park.
CARELESSNESS WILL CAUSE
1000 FOREST FIRES
Nearly 1000 forest firse re-
Sulting from human careless
ness may be expected in the
national forests during 1910 II
American people run true to
form this year, the Forest Ser
vice of the u. S; Department OF
Agriculture predicts.
This view is based upon sta
tiStical records of the Forest
Service, which show that from
1884 through 1888 an average
of $3.50 fires a year were
caused by man.
The 1889 season was one of
the worst on record for total
number of fires in the national
forests. Human beings and
lightning ran a fairly close race
in causing forest destruction,
Careless men, women, and chill
dren were responsible for 1852
fires; while lightning, principal
offender of the western forests,
caused 1858 fires. The number
of man-caused fires on nation
al 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 inten-
sively protected and thus have
a much lower number of fires
than unprotected forest lands
which reported about 1850
forest fires last year and sus-
tanned about nine-tenths of the
country'S total forest fire dam
age as a reSul of human care
leSSneSs.
Foresters on the 161 nationa.
forests are either preparing fol
the fire season or are already
on the job to fight any fires
that break out. In the South
and East, foresters and CCC en-
rolleeS have been actively COM
batting fire during the early
spring fire season, while lr
the western forests, current &C
tivities anticipate a fire sea-
son which usually is worst ir
the summer months.
Shows and winds of winter
months often cause considerable
damage to communication anC
Transportation facilities in the
forests so that forest workers
have been repairing breaks in
telephone lines and recondition-
ing lookout towers and cabins
UNLIMITED guests such as bears
WoodchuckS, pack rats, and hu-
man marauderS also sometime!
cause damage to remote lookout
and guard stations. It is essen.
tial, the Forest Service says
thaht fire protection facilities bt
fully maintained before the frs
dry lightning storms of summer
occur and the early influx Of
recreationists takes place.
Forest service tractors anc
road machines are at work re.
conditioning fire breaks anc
grading mountain and forest
roads in order that transporta.
ton may not be hindered wher
the fire season starts. Trai
crews, commonly called "gyps!
crews" already have startec
their rounds of the forest trails
clearing away trees blown dowr
by the wind and developing anc
strengthening drainage Struc'
lures to prevent trails from be-
ing washed out by freShets.
In Forest Service fire depot.
and warehouses throughout thu
West, radios and telephones arr
being checked for performance
and conditioned so that the,
can be relied on when vita
communication is required OF
the summer fire lines. Thous
ands of kits of fire fightin,
equipment and balanced ration
are being made ready for tn
inevitable emergency. The mule
and horses which will be calle,
upon to transport the supple
to fire crews and camps in re
mote, roadless areas are, at tn
moment, in spring training" o.
planting and maintenance job
after a well-earned period Q
comparative inactivity on tn
winter range.
Fire forces are hoping thi
year to better last years fir
record. In 1889, the Forest Ser
vice had to combat a total Q