The 1915 Forest Fire Season 



By Allen S. Peck, 

 United States Forest Service 



THE past fire season on the National Forests, while 

 not so severe as either of the two extremely dan- 

 gerous years, 1910 ami 1!I14, was in many re- 

 spects an extraordinary one, and on quite a number of 

 forests tested the efficiency of the protection forces quite 

 as severely as did either of the two abnormal years. 

 The snowfall last winter was generally deficient, except 

 in the Southwest, where it was much heavier than usual. 

 Lack of rainfall throughout the Northwest and on the 

 Coast made a dangerous season alarmingly probable, but 

 late spring and early summer rains remedied the situa- 

 tion, so that it was unusually late in the summer before 

 conditions became especially serious. In the Southwest, 

 after a late start, dangerous conditions continued until 

 the third week in July, when the situation was relie\'ed by 

 the coming of the summer rains. In the Central Rockv 

 Mountain region, while the season started later than 



usual. Conditions were such as to make possible on one 

 of the Wyoming forests, about the middle of July, the 

 most dangerous fire recorded in that district. In Utah 

 and southern Idaho the fire season was the longest of 

 any in the history of District -4, fires occurring as late as 

 November. 



Thus the season throughout the West was character- 

 ized l)y unusual length, which resulted in many fires, in 

 spite of the late start. ()n the eastern forests and pur- 

 chase areas in the White Mountains and Appalachians 

 there is very little fire hazard in the sunmier, most of the 

 fires occurring during the winter months. The total 

 number of fires in the National Forests and purchase 

 areas during the calendar year just closed was some- 

 thing o\-er 6,000, as compared with T.IOS for the vear 

 liil4, and a normal annual lumiber of about 4,300. 

 Eighty (SO) i)er cent of the total number of fire^ were 



THE HIGHEST EIRE PROTECT I0.\ STATION I.\ THE VyORLD 



Recently the United States Forest Service established a permanent fire lookout station on the peak of Mt. Hooil. in the Oregon -Xational I'oi csl 

 where the observer, at a height of 11,255 feet, was able to pick up many fires which would not have been visible to lookouts located at lowe 

 altitudes and much nearer the fires. 



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