lO FOREST COMMISSIONERS REPORT. 



The five months through which the drought extended did not 

 furnish as much rain as sometimes falls in a single month, as 

 shown by a record kept by Dr. C. D. Woods, of the University 

 of Maine. 



The fact that ]\Iaine, in comparison to its great wooded areas, 

 has suffered less than any other state is due to the forest fire law 

 enacted by the legislature of 1903. There is no doubt but for 

 the vigilance of the fire wardens assisted by many of the owners 

 of wild land the loss to the State would have been well into the 

 millions, and although every effort was made by the Forestry 

 Department to keep down expenses, the fund for the prevention 

 and extinguishment of forest fires was exhausted by the middle 

 of September. Most of the men who did good work on fires 

 since that time remain unpaid. The unpaid bills, of which there 

 are quite a number, are on file with the department awaiting the 

 action of the legislature. As the men who performed the work 

 are patiently waiting for their pay a special appropriation should 

 be made early in the session to care for these bills. 



Although returns have not been received from all the select- 

 men of towns in which fires occurred, enough has been 

 learned to show that the incorporated towns have suffered nearly 

 as much as the unorganized townships. As a rule the areas 

 burned over have been below the average in value of other lands 

 in the State. 



Taking the results from the reports received the entire loss 

 to the State in unincorporated townships and incorporated towns 

 consisted of 142,130 acres at an estimated damage of $618,816, 

 of which $257,020 was upon land in the incorporated towns, 

 which in many cases included loss to buildings, but should be 

 reckoned in the loss caused by forest fires. The area burned 

 is less than i per cent of the total wooded area of the State. 



The causes of the fires of 1908 as assigned by the wardens on 

 the part of the unincorporated townships and the selectmen on 

 the part of the incorporated towns are as follows : Unknown, 

 124; railroads, 29; lumbermen, i; clearing land, 28; adjoin- 

 ing town, 4; previous fire, i ; burning building, 2; set by boys, 

 i; berry pickers, 2; campers, 17; portable mill, 2; lightning, 

 10; fishermen, 5. 



The tabulations follow : 



