Plate VIII, Fig, 2 — Location of Fire Lines in the Angeles National Forest, Cal. 



from $1 to $2 per thousand feet of 

 timber cut. 



In order to control the fire in burn- 

 ing over the ground broadcast, ample 

 fire lines should be constructed around 

 the outside of the areas to be burned. 

 These should usually be not less 

 than one rod wide and should be en- 

 tirely cleared of inflammable material. 

 The material in the lines may often be 

 thrown on the side of the cut-over area 

 and burned with the other debris, but 

 if this would make a dangerously large 

 pile near the line it is better to burn 

 it in piles on the cleared space. 



The burning should be done with 

 great caution. A time should be select- 

 ed when the slash is dry enough to 

 burn well, but not so dry that it will 

 be impossible to confine the fire within 

 the fire lines. The best time is usually 

 when the slash in the open, cut-over 

 area has just dried out sufficiently to 

 burn, and while the contiguous forest is 

 still too damp to burn freely. In the case 

 of wide, cleared strips it may be advis- 

 able to construct a fire line through the 

 middle, as well as along the edges. Very 

 often the logging trails can be used 

 for intermediate fire lines for the con- 



trol of the burning, and in this way the 

 expense of making special lines may be 

 partly saved. 



In the work of burning it is usually 

 advisable to have a crew of at least 

 ten men, properly equipped with fire- 

 fighting implements, in order to con- 

 trol the fire. So far as possible only 

 small portions of the area should be 

 under fire at one time, especially when 

 there is any possible danger of the fire 

 spreading to the adjoining woods. 



There is no question that this method 

 is much more dangerous than burning 

 brush in piles, and for this reason the 

 latter method should be used whenever 

 possible. A great objection to broad- 

 cast burning is that any remaining 

 trees, reproduction, or young growth, 

 already started on the cut-over area, 

 are almost inevitably destroyed. 



Annua! or Periodic Burning of Litter 



In many places, notably in the pine 

 districts of the South, it has been the 

 custom to let surface fires run through 

 the woods every year, usually in order 

 to improve the range. This is defended 

 on the theory that if the litter is allow^ed 

 to accumulate for a number of years, 



663 



