The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1943-06-08
COOPERATION IS
SOUGHT, FOREST
fire PREVENTION

lessly or Intentionally. The United
States has an average of 21o,97t
forest fires each year and they
cover 81 ,233,o0 acres. This almost
equals the area of New York State
Ninety percent of all these fires
are man made. The other ten per.
cent are started by lightning
Thirty percent are started by care
less smokers and campers; forty
percent are Intentionally set fol
such purposes as clearing land
burning logging slash and other
debris. Many such fires are started
lawfully. but get out of control be-
cause of carelessness, ignorance OF
willingness to take a chance. Incen-
diaries are responsible for many
Intentionally set forest fires.
The forest fire problem, bad um-
der the best of conditions, is in
tensified at this time because of
the war. Forest fire sabotages the
war effort by slowing down pro-
duction of timber, now a critical
war material; by diverting an aver
age of 100000 eight-hour man days
of labor per year from vital war
Industries, farms, ETC.; by causing
smoke that interferes with the
training of airplane pilots, invites
attacks by enemy submarines and
hides them from our patrols.
Figuring the 100000 man days at
the war time rate of one dollar
per hour we Immediately see that
$7,760,000 annually is being divert
ed from vital war industry and is
going into an effort which could
be presented by the observance of
a few simple rules of fire preven4
ton.
1t. Gen. John l.. Dewitt, Western
Defense Command, has listed twelve
reasons why every patriotic citizen
should look on helping to prevent
forest fires as an essential wartime
duty. Among them are: (a) Smoke
pals from forest areas limit visi-
bility for defensive air and sea
patrols and invite offshore opera
tons by the enemy (bl Smoke haze
reduces visibility from aircraft
warning stations and fire lookouts.
(c) Many defense plants and mill
tary establishments are located in
or adjacent to forest areas and
might be damaged or destroyed by
major conflagration. Id Forest
fires serve as beacons for the
enemy.
1t. Gen. H. A. Drum, Eastern De-
Tense Command, has said, "Protec-
ton of our forests is one of the
most important wartime duties a
citizen may perform. Wood, like
oil, is essential to our war machine.
Forest fires destroy a priceless
source of raw materials and also
serve the enemy by endangering
vital installations. In protecting our
forests in time of war we pre-
serve priceless heritage for the
days of peace" #n 8k
Smoke from forest fires in l941
caused loss of 10000 flying hours
at flying school near Tuscaloosa
Ala, and at Camp Davis, North
Carolina, in the spring of 1912
anti-aircraft training was seriously
interrupted by nearby forest fires
and in number of instances
trainees were used to combat these
| fires.
Alaska is fortunate in that the
greater part of our commercial
timber lies in the coastal rain belt
where large fires are infrequent
Nevertheless, records of large fires
are etched on the landscape at
Whitewater Bay and at other
points on the Tongass National
Forest Alaska's forests are being
drawn upon at this time to make
their greatest contribution in his
tory AS result of this heavy cut
ting there will be fire hazards Gre
ated by slashings. This danger will
be further intensified by increased
numbers of men in the woods, by
logging machines and campfires.
The forests of Alaska, which lie
| in the Kenai Peninsula and the
Interior beyond the rainbelt, are
highly inflammable and constant
vigilance is necessary to preserve
them for current war needs and
future use These so-called interior
forests are of extreme Importance
to the local economy as they make
substantial contribution to the
development of the country by fur
nishing food and cover for game
and furbearers, timber for mining
purposes, building and fuel. Fur
thermore smoke from these burning
forests creates the same hazards
and binders our war effort fully as
much as though il were billOWiny