Report of Committee on Forest Fires. 587 



last year), the owners of three milHon acres lost only 1,600 acres 

 or 1-20 of one per cent. Of over 1,100 fires extinguished only 

 200 were of sufficient size to permit of description, all others being 

 put out in their incipiency. 



In the Idaho Association there is spent for patrol alone only i^ 

 cents per acre, but as this association extensively builds trails and 

 installs telephones the assessment reaches up to 2 to 5 cents per 

 acre. The Coeur d'Alene Timber Protective Association with 

 1,200,000 acres, at 2 cents an acre lost only $40,000. The Potlach 

 Association spent 4^ cents per acre for patrol, purchase of tools 

 and making trails. The United States Forest Service in District 

 I, the Northern Rockies, which lost so heavily in 1910 spent less 

 than ^ cent on thirty million acres, losing $40,000 worth of timber. 

 All these lands are located in difficult territory, and for several 

 years this system has given satisfaction, except during the unusual 

 drought of last summer. 



In the disastrous season of 1910 the association staved ofif 

 serious trouble for two months by special effort, but in August, 

 due to indifference and lack of protection of intervening proper- 

 ties, — accentuating the need of state-wide co-operation — the 

 system broke down. Yet the report of the secretary of the 

 united associations is, first, that the 'losses were few and insig- 

 nificant when the area involved is considered ; second, that had it 

 not been for the timber owners' effort the contrary would have 

 been true. The really bad fires can be counted on the fingers, 

 while those extinguished number by thousands.' 



The essentials of a proper organization are : — 



1. A proper head, an officer with experience and with well de- 

 fined powers and duties, but with large discretionary powers, who 

 shall devote himself to this interest alone. 



2. A proper personnel carefully chosen — not necessarily nomi- 

 nated by limit holders — of permanent, paid rangers with con- 

 stables' power and the right to arrest without warrant any one 

 suspected of having contravened the law, who during the off 

 season can work in preparing for the dangerous season. The suc- 

 cess of the organization depends on the character of these men. 



3. Additional paid patrolmen during the dangerous season, a 

 variable number according to needs, and obligation on every 

 citizen to aid under penalty when called upon, in extinguishing 

 fires ; 



4. Responsibility properly divided, enforced by penalties, and 

 inspectors, active in looking after the rangers, and concerned in 

 educating the people and improving the service ; 



5. Districting the country with a view of collocating similar 

 conditions in such units as a patrolman can readily oversee, or 

 an inspector inspect, and making these officers responsible for the 

 safety of their unit ; 



6. Early discovery of an incipient fire is essential ; hence there 



