THE FOEESTER. 167 



The number of fires, as reported above, exceeded by about 1,400, or 

 nearly 27 per cent, the number in 1910. In Montana and Idaho alone 

 the value of specific bodies of timber threatened by approximately 

 2,000 fires, which started and were put out, was over $59,000,000. In 

 Oregon and Washington 1,200 fires threatened upward of $24,000,000 

 worth. These figures make no count of the value of nonmerchant- 

 able young timber and reproduction on about 5,000,000 acres of land, 

 nor of several million dollars' worth of ranch and other private prop- 

 erty endangered. It became imperative to put forth every effort to 

 protect the public interests at stake. In doing this expenditures were 

 incurred which made it necessary to appeal to Congress for a de- 

 ficiency appropriation of $349,243. In addition, funds which would 

 normally have been used for improvement and other work were 

 largely drawn upon. That the situation was met with success is 

 indicated by the fact that the damage to timber was less than 4 per 

 cent of that in 1910. The season definitely established that even 

 under highly unfavorable conditions the damage can, given an effi- 

 cient organization, preparedness, and adequate funds, be kept down 

 to a small amount. 



The timbered area burned over in the calendar year 1914 was 

 225,979 acres, and the open 153,686 acres. The loss in Government 

 timber destroyed or damaged was 339,430,000 board feet, with an 

 estimated value of $307,303; the value of reproduction destroved, 

 $192,408 ; and the forage loss $2,803._ The total sum expended' for 

 fire fighting, in addition to the salaries of the regular Forest force, 

 was $685,790. 



The percentage of fires directly attributable to human agencies in- 

 creased from 46 per cent in 1913 to 57 per cent in 1914. As use of 

 the Forests becomes more general, the exposure from this cause neces- 

 sarily tends to grow. While improved methods of detecting and 

 putting out fires must be developed to protect the Forests adequately 

 as human activities within them multiply, the development of 

 methods which will prevent fires from starting is even more neces- 

 sary. Of first importance is public education in care to avoid start- 

 ing fires. In the case of residents and users with a property risk 

 of their own or a pecuniary interest in the conservation of Forest 

 resources, carefulness with fire is relatively easy to teach. But the 

 irresponsible transient visitor is a formidable menace. This fact lias 

 made necessary, especially in the regions in which the fire hazard 

 is greatest, a campaign of education directed at the general public. 

 Instructive articles are published by the local newspapers, cards 

 giving on one side the game laws and similar useful information 

 and on the other concise rules for safely disposing of camp fires 

 and the like are distributed to tourists and campers, and special 

 signs of short and catchy wording are posted abundantly along lines 

 of travel through the Forests. In addition, the local Forest officers 

 lose no opportunity to impress personally the need of care upon both 

 permanent and temporary occupants. It is believed that the essen- 

 tials of fire prevention have now been instilled in the minds of most 

 men who frequent the National Forests, but the insistent problem is 

 how to make the man careful who knows the danger but throws his 

 match away thoughtlessly. Valuable cooperation in this educational 

 work is received from forestry and timber-protective associations in 

 the West. 



