THE FOEESTEK. 



185 



There were relatively few large fires during the fiscal year on the 

 National Forests elsewhere than in the northern Rocky Mountains 

 and Pacific Coast States, although unfavorable conditions were wide- 

 spread. In the last six months of the calendar year 1918, after an 

 an early summer fire season of unusual danger in all parts of the 

 West, except in Colorado, Wyoming, and wSouth Dakota, where light 

 rains fell with sufficient frequency to mitigate the drought, the situa- 

 tion improved m.aterially as the season advanced. The fall rains 

 generally set in early; and in the Southwest, where the fire danger 

 occurs in two distinct seasons, one in the spring and early summer 

 and one in the fall, the fall fire season was of short duration, with 

 good showei-s at frequent intervals. In southern California condi- 

 tions were tlireatening until late in the fall, but throughout the 

 State the fires of the latter part of the calendar year 1918, were well 

 controlled. Especially notable was the reduction in the number of 

 man-caused fires in California which followed a vigorous campaign of 

 public education waged by the Forest Service in cooperation with 

 State and other public agencies. In Minnesota no large fires burned 

 on the National Forests, in conspicuous contrast with what happened 

 in other parts of the State. In the southern Appalachian Forests the 

 climatic conditions during the fall were less favorable than normally, 

 but only one large fire occurred; this was on the Shenandoah, in 

 October. 



The following table gives certain statistics regarding the 1918 

 fires. The total number, 5,573, shows a reduction of 2,241 from 

 the number which occurred in the previous calendar year. The 

 area of National Forest lands burned over was 694,651 acres, as 

 against 962,543 in 1917; the estimated damage on these lands was 

 $688,332, as against Sl,358,627; and the total cost of fire fighting 

 was .S714,009.63, as against $1,121,451. 



Fires on National Forests, calendar year 1918. 



Extent and causes of fires. 



Area burned over: 



Under 0.25 acre 



Between 0.25 acre and 10 



acres 



iO acres and over, damage 



under 8100 



10 acres and over, damage 



S100to81,000 



10 acres and over, damage 



over $1,000 , 



Total 



Num- 

 ber of 

 fires. 



2,475 



1,572 



1,146 



270 



110 



5,573 



Percent- 

 age of 

 total. 



44.41 



28.21 



20.56 



4.85 



1.97 



100.00 



Extent and causes of fires. 



Causes of fires: 



Railroads 



Lightning 



Incendiary 



IJrusli burning 



Campers 



Lumbering 



Unknown 



Miscellaneous.. 



Total 



Num- 

 ber of 

 fires 



618 

 2,457 

 257 

 361 

 943 

 104 

 658 

 175 



5,573 



Percent- 

 age of 

 total. 



11.09 

 44.09 



4.61 



6.48 

 16.92 



1.86 

 11.81 



3.14 



100.00 



Of the 110 fires listed above as having burned over an area of 10 

 acres and more with damage in excess of $1, 000, 35 were in Idaho, 

 30 in Oregon, 14 in Washington, and 12 in California. In total 

 number of fires of all classes California came first, with 1,148, fol- 

 lowed by Idaho with 832, Oregon with 775, Montana with 573, and 

 Washington with 563. Seventy per cent of all the fires occurred in 

 these five States. 



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