NORTHWESTERN FOREST FIRE CONDITIONS 



595 



tree was in the way and — I needed 

 wood." 



He carefully covered the coals with 

 ashes and started for bed. It was 

 late. He could not remember sitting up 

 so late for years. 



The winter, as predicted, was a 

 "freezer" even for New England, And 

 Spring, late in coming, was welcomed 

 by all. Soon the bitterness of winter 

 was forgotten. The summer became as 

 hot as the winter had been cold. The 

 old bachelor's house stood back among 

 the locusts as always. The little vine- 

 covered porch was the same. There 

 was the orchard behind the arbor. 



Something seemed wrong to the travel- 

 er as he plodded up the dusty road in 

 the merciless sun, looking expectingly 

 for shade. Now he understood the 

 change in the familiar old place. A 

 landmark, a pioneer of the country, a 

 friend, had been taken from this place. 

 There was the stump. The sun seemed 

 to beat down even hotter where the 

 branches had once shaded. 



"Who could have done it? That old 

 heartless skinflint? What would his pa 

 say?" The traveler looked bitterly to- 

 ward the house. "What is that?" Near 

 the edge of the road, carefully pro- 

 tected by white stakes, a young sugar 

 maple had been planted. 



NORTHWESTERN FOREST FIRE CONDITIONS 



^^ — I'ULY passed practically without 

 ff L forest fire loss, August begun with 

 ^^^ unusually favorable conditions 

 and better equipment than ever before 

 by all protective agencies except the 

 federal forest service, which is ham- 

 pered by congressional delay in acting 

 upon its appropriation, is the summary 

 of a statement issued early in August 

 by the Western Forestry and Conser- 

 vation Association upon advices re- 

 ceived from all protective headquarters 

 in the Pacific northwest. Due partly 

 to the weather but also to the perfec- 

 tion of preventive measures which, like 

 the block signal system on railroads 

 safeguard without being spectacular 

 the situation is novel in that the mid- 

 dle of the usual four months fire season 

 has arrived and there is not a single fire 

 of importance to report. 



Although small fires are becoming 

 numerous, green timber is not dry 

 enough to carty them unless strong 

 wind prevails and the patrol forces are 

 handling them promptly. The season 

 has been favorable for disposing of 

 dangerous slashings and never before 

 has there been such system and success 

 in extinguishing smouldering logs and 



snags left after burning to become a 

 menace later. On the other hand, the 

 growth of grass and underbrush has 

 been so heavy as to threaten peculiar 

 danger from now on. Marked improve- 

 ment in care with fire is reported, al- 

 though there is considerable complaint 

 against careless leaving of debris by 

 county road builders and against the 

 operations of small and irresponsible 

 loggers. 



The State Forester of Montana has 

 received $3,500 from the federal gov- 

 ernment through the Weeks law to be 

 used outside the national forests in the 

 territory protected by the State and 

 the Northern Montana Forestry Asso- 

 ciation. 



Idaho has had a few small slashing 

 and lightning fires but practically no 

 damage. The co-operative patrol asso- 

 ciations have completed several new 

 telephone systems and are rapidly in- 

 creasing patrols to meet expected dry 

 weather. 



Washington reports no July fires of 

 consequence, but the laws are being 

 enforced rigidly to prevent danger 

 later. Several attempts to burn with- 

 out permit or operate unguarded en- 



