Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-06-23
More Than 90 Per Cent
Of ConAagrations
Called Preventable

Each year loyal American cit
liens, through carelessness and
thoughtlessness, start an aver
age of some 100000 forest fires
IN the United States. This ire
mendous annual destruction of
our timber resources has been
going on relentlessly year in and
year out. Now that these re-
sources are so critically needed
and OF such vital Importance for
the successful prosecution of the
war, the number of forest fires
must be reduced drastically in
the interest of national security.
In addition to its effect on our
war production activity, forest fires
further complicate our manpower
shortage problem by draining away
from critical war industries those
wasted man-hours necessary to eX-
tlngulsh and fight the thousands of
hres that rage yearly throughout the
country. The problem is one of per-
sonal interest to every American.
Forest fires speed up erosion of
farm land by denuding watersheds.
On millions of acres, forest fires in
duce swift-run-off, and heavy sea-
sonal flooding, resulting in serious
property damage, less water stored
Tor irrigation or power, and thus
less food to fight for freedom.
These fires also destroy wild life
along with its food and cover. In
told numbers of deer, birds and 9TH
er wild life as we'll as fish Gin
streams polluted by wood ashes)
are crippled and killed annually be-
cause of forest fires.
Prevention.
Detectives of the 1914 forest fire
prevention program are to help
speed victory by:
l. Reducing greatly the more than
100000 forest fires occurring each
year, 80 per cent of which are man.
caused and therefore, preventabl
z. Releasing manpower-of which
nearly one million man-days are tied
up yearly in fighting forest fires.
3. Cutting down on actual and pO-
tential dangers and losses to such
critical war materials as timber and
feed for domestic stock and wild
life.
One Third of U. S. Is Forest.
The forest empire of the United
States, exclusive of Alaska, is larger
than the combined area of France,
Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden,
Belgium, The Netherlands and the
British Isles. 1t constitutes one-third
the area of the continental United
States.
No region or zone is without is
forests, although 60 per cent is east
of the Great Plains in an area con-
tanning four-fifths of our population.
The other 40 per cent is west of the
Great Plains and includes most of
our remaining virgin timber. 1t is
evident therefore, that forest fires
constitute national problem which
can be solved only by nationwide
action.
Statistical information on hand
which was gathered over a five-year
period, 1864, shows that an aver
age of 2l0,970 forest fires rage each
year throughout the nation and burn
over an average of 81 ,233 900 acres.
This represents an area much larg-
err than the land area of New York
state. This wartime waste repre-
sents three billion feet of timber
kllled-or enough to build 2l5, 00O
five-room homes for war workers.
Ninety per cent of all forest fires
are man-made. The remaining 10
per cent are caused by lightning.
Careless smokers and campers are
responsible for starting 80 per cent
of all our forest fires. Other forest
fires are INTENTIONALLY set for
such purposes as clearing plow-land,
burning off weed patches, logging
slash, brush or debris, and although
many of these fires are started law
fully, great numbers of them get out
of hand because of carelessness and
ignorance on the part of the burner
or because of his willingness to take
a chance Forest fires in this cate
CORY constitute 40 PER CENT OF
THE TOTAL.
In its wartime activities for 1912
the United States used more wood
than steel. According to R. w. Pat
terson, undersecretary of war, $780,
000,0 900 tons of wood were used as
against 100 million tons of steel.
AS a further indication of its i'm
portance in our wartime activities,
we have the statement of Rear Adm.
E. l.. Cochrane in the International
Woodworker, 9-22-43 that Every
naval vessel, from the log battle
ship of the North Carolina class to
the small mine sweeper, depends on
wood"
1t is problem then of national
concern when the production of lum-
Der ESTIMATED in 1913 to be four
billion board feet below require