THE PROTECTION OF FORESTS 



FROM FIRE 



By HENRY S, GRAVES 

 Forester, U, S. Department of Agriculture 



(Payt II — Contimicd from the September number) 



THE PREVENTION OF FIRES 



IN SOME sections of the country for- 

 est fires have always been of such 

 common occurrence that there is a 

 popular notion that they cannot be pre- 

 vented. The risk from fires can never 

 be entirely eliminated, for in the forest 

 there is always inflammable material 

 which is very easily ignited. They may, 

 however, be largely prevented, and un- 

 der efficient organization their damage 

 may be kept down to a very small 

 amount. The problem is like that in 

 cities, where fires can never be entirely 

 eliminated, but where the risk of loss 

 to property may be reduced almost to 

 insignificance. 



For the successful protection of a 

 forest from fire there are necessary: 



(i) The elimination, so far as pos- 

 sible, of the causes of fires. 



(2) A proper organization of the for- 

 est, including the disposal of slash, the 

 opening of rpads, the construction of 

 trails, etc, '■ 



(3) An adequate supervision. 



(4) Facilities for fighting fires, in- 

 cluding an adequate force of men, 

 proper implements, etc. 



ELIMINATION OF THE CAUSES OF FIRES 



The causes of fires may be grouped 

 under the following heads : 



(a) Sparks from locomotives; {b) 

 sparks from sawmills, donkey engines, 

 etc.; (c) camp fires; (d) clearing land 

 and burning brush; {e) burning to im- 

 prove pasturage ; {f) careless smokers ; 

 ig) incendiarism; (h) lightning. 



Back of any practical plan of fire 

 protection there must be state fire laws 

 and a competent organi>ation to en- 

 force them. In many states to-day there 

 are laws, some of them fully adequate, 

 requiring the use of spark arresters on 

 engines, and punishing incendiarism, 

 carelessness in clearing land and in 

 leaving camp fires, etc. In most states, 

 on the other hand, organizations to 

 carry out the laws and an enlightened 

 public sentiment to support them are 

 lacking. Education of the people to 

 the value of forests and the need for 

 their protection is necessary to over- 

 come the carelessness and ignorance 

 that cause fires to originate from camp 

 fires and clearing land. Vigorous ap- 

 plication of the laws will accomplish this 

 result, but the laws will not be vigor- 

 ously enforced until there is a public 

 opinion back of them. 



For the most part, though probably 

 not entirely, the starting of fires by 

 sparks from locomotives may be pre- 

 vented by the use of spark arresters. 

 If the right of way is properly cleared 

 and patrolled such occasional fires as 

 start may readily be extinguished. Rail- 

 road fires are therefore unnecessary 

 Railroads should be held responsible for 

 damage from fires which they cause. 



In the same way, there are excellent 

 devices for arresting the throw of sparks 

 from the stacks of donkey engines and 

 sawmills. When fires start from these 

 sources, it is usually because such de- 

 vices are not used at all or not properly 

 used. 



There will, of course, always be some 

 accidental fires and an occasional in- 



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