FIRE PROTECTION IN THE NATIONAL FORESTS 575 



While the following discussion includes questions which must be con- 

 sidered in the preparation of flre plans, it will be obvious that many of the 

 points mentioned can not be included. 



VALUE OF MATERIAL AND RISK. 



The practice in the Forest Service has not become very definite in regard 

 TO the effect which the value of the material and the fire risk should have in 

 protection. In a district embracing in part Montana and northern Idaho an 

 attempt has been made to place the protection in the western part of the 

 district as compared with the eastern in the ratio of 3 to 1, because of the 

 den.se stand of western white pine in the - est as compared with the lighter 

 open stand of western yellow pine in the east. On individual forests in general, 

 heavy stands of timber and those stands of timber which are in the neatest 

 danger from fire, receive much more protection and are considered first in the 

 location and building of permanent improvements, necessary for efficient fire 



CAUSES AND PREVENTION. 



The following table shows the number of fires which have occurred on 

 the national forests from IDOO to 1010 inclusive, and also the causes : 



Number of Fires in 1906. 1907, 1908, 1909 and 1910. and Reported Causes ■ Also 

 Percentage of Causes to Total Number of Fires 



i 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 yea^ife'^o 



p 1910 inclusive 



Causes Nn,„h„. cl', m..„u„ ZV. x, _ . J" .. . ?" Per Per 



Leaves '^"^ ^ ^""^ ^l -- - — ^ -- SrT^^Z. 



„tS 1^ 1:? -« -:« - -3 •- 9:4 ^| ? ; 1; ? : 



Brush Burning 15 1.3 34 2 1 68 i^^ m II M7 ^8 60^ 4"? 



SaSs and ''' ''■' ''' ''' ''' ''' ^^ ''' 688 if.l 2.285 lej 



donkey engines ... ... 65 4.8 5 .2 38 1 2 51 1 I'iq 19 



Unknown 196 17.3 367 27.1 263 9.7 758 24 1 1184228 2768 204 



MisceUaneous _J2 2.1 __60 4.4 _639 23.4 JsS 1.9 241 il l.'nS It 



'^°'^' '-'33 1.355 2.728 3.138 I^ '[^5 



-.orr.'^^l ^''qoc''! °''*^?°!l '''*^**''^^ '>•'»'' increased from approximately 107,000,000 

 Dunn.^ thl! fi '^ ''"'^ '"T "''''° 190,000,000 acres at the present time. 



mateW 000 T i'onf .^ ''^'"^'''' ■^''*^ ''°'''' ^'""^ ^^« increased from approxi- 

 mately 1,000 in 1906 to approximately 2,500 in 1910, and which has been 



IsSite.' '''^"" '^^''" "'''^''"'^' ''''' e-^'^&ui^hed a gnind total of 



15 D^r' cent Tth^?? ?^ ^^l^ '^^'^^^ ^^ lightning, which approximate about 

 15 per cent of the total, all these fires are preventable. In many parts of 



panild" n lit [;'o' ''''''' '"""^ ^""''^'^ P'"'*^ ^^ '""^ ^-'' ^^-^^ -'"-m 

 pan led by little or no rain are very dangerous. For instance one storm on 



he Rainier Forest on July 14. 1911, started no les.s than t^sSty fires For 



ev^Prt f' '^'''■^'"' T^y "^ ^''^'^ fi'"^^ ^«°t «"t ^^^ the others, with one 

 exception, were reached and put out by rangers before they attained serioSs 

 pmportions. It has been found that in some forests the danger of fire from 



h "facT?: if ZTr' l" ™"" '" '^^- '^^'"'^^ ^«-^' andihe recogn tTon 

 LI Jl .^'^^^Vt ^^ ^^'^.t ^''i'"e in protection. For instance, on the Payette 



thr^rUaks ''''' '' ^'■''* ^"°^''' '™'° ^'■^^ ''■''-''^ b^ I'^l^tning L-'onfy 



