54 THE SCHOOL BOOK OF FORESTRY 



West have become very expert in running down 

 the people who set incendiary fires. They collect 

 evidence at the scene of the fire, such as pieces of 

 letters and envelopes, matches, lost handker- 

 chiefs and similar articles. They hunt for foot 

 tracks and hoof marks. They study automobile 

 tire tracks. They make plaster of Paris impres- 

 sions of these tracks. They follow the tracks 

 sometimes Indian fashion. Often there are pe- 

 culiarities about the tracks which lead to the 

 detection and punishment of the culprits. A 

 horse may be shod in an unusual manner ; a man 

 may have peculiar hob nails or rubber heels on 

 his boots or else his footprints may show some 

 deformity. The forest rangers play the parts of 

 detectives very well. This novel police work has 

 greatly reduced the number of incendiary fires. 



A forest fire may destroy in a few hours 

 trees that required hundreds of years to grow. A 

 heavy stand of timber may be reduced to a deso- 

 late waste because some one forgot to put out 

 a campfire. Occasionally large forest fires burn 

 farm buildings and homes and kill hundreds of 

 people. During the dry summer season when a 

 strong wind is blowing, the fire will run for many 

 miles. It always leaves woe and desolation in its 



