376 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



causes of "fire, (2) a proper organization and equipment of the Forest 

 for protection, and (3) odicient patrol. 



The causes of tires on the National Forests may be summarized as 

 follows: Sparks from locomotives, sawmills, donkey engines, etc., 

 camp fires, clearing land and burning brush, burning to improve 

 pasturage, careless smokers, incendiarism, and lightning. With the 

 exception of lightning, all of these causes are controllable. 



Of last year's fires, 84 per cent were due to lack of preventive care 

 on the jDart of the users of the Forests and of the railroads traversing 

 them. During the calendar year 1909 railroad locomotives caused 

 1,186 fires. The railroad companies realize that such fires are against 

 their own interests and have shown an achnirable spirit in cooperating 

 to prevent them. Cooperative agreements with the Great Northern 

 and the Northern Pacific railroads provide for the cleaning up of inflam- 

 mable material in the rights of way, an effective patrol of the line, free 

 transportation by the railroads of Forest officers, temporary laborers, 

 and supplies, and payment by the railroads of bills for temporary 

 labor and supplies used in extinguishing fires which start within a 

 prescribed distance of the tracks. Similar agreements with other 

 lines are pending, and informal understandings were reached with 

 railway lines in Colorado for the clearing of their rights of w^ay. In 

 spite of these eff'orts, however, fires are constantly started from 

 locomotive sparks, and it is imperative that this cause of fire be 

 eliminated. The railroads should be required either to use efficient 

 spark arresters or to burn oil. It is contended by the railroads that 

 there is no spark arrester wdiich does not, in practical use, interfere 

 with the draft of the engine. A number of new spark arresters are 

 now being thoroughly tested, and there is every indication of their 

 success. 



The use of oil as fuel brought ideal results. The Chicago, Mil- 

 waukee and Puget Sound Railroad uses oil-burning engines passing 

 through the Forests of the Northwest, During the summer of 1910, 

 which was disastrous for forest fires, reports show that not a single 

 fire was started from the engines of that company. On all lines 

 using sparking fuel repeated fires were started, in some cases 25 to 

 30 fires in a single day within a stretch of 50 miles. 



Carelessness in leaving camp fires, in clearing land, in burning 

 brush, and in smoking results in an enormous number of fires. Con- 

 trol of these causes of fires means educating the public to a proper 

 sense of responsibility. A much closer patrol to see that care is taken 

 and to put out in their incipiency any fires which may start is also 

 needed. 



The burning of the Forests to improve grazmg is really incen- 

 diarism. During the calendar year 1909, 4 per cent of the forest fires 

 were incendiary in origin. Incendiarism can be stopped, partly 

 through education of the public and partly through increased watch- 

 ing of the Forest, which will result in the apprehension and punish- 

 ment of incendiaries. As soon as the local public appreciates the 

 disastrous effects of forest fires and gives the Forest officers the fullest 

 support in preventing incendiarism, it will stop very cjuickly. The 

 apprehension and swift punishment of a few culprits will also have a 

 very beneficial effect. 



Lightning is particularly dangerous because whereas fires started 

 by human agency are most likely to occur near settlements, railroads, 



