UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 FOREST SERVICE 



(Prom the Forest Service, United States Department of Agricu 1 



San Francisco Office) 



BAD FOREST FIRE 

 SEASON CONTINUES 



Because there have been no spectacular fires such as 

 last year *n Mount Tamalpais and in the Santa Cruz mountains, to 

 impression prevails in California that the season of 1914 has bet. 

 a mild one in the matter of forest fires. District Forester Cce. 

 DuB^is, at San Francisco, states that this is not the case and 

 that the season of 1814, which is not yet over, has been one of 

 marked severity. On the National Forests in California 1049 fire, 

 have occurred, and they are still being reported at the rate of 

 about 50 a week. Most of these fires would have caused seriouc 

 damage if they had not been handled with the utmost promptness. 

 But less than 17 per cent got sufficient start to cause any con- 

 siderable damage, and 876 of them were caught and put out before 

 they had burned a space twenty rods square , The total area 

 burned over amounts to 45,000 acres, cf vhich 34,000 acres are 

 timber lane" , The direct damage tc timber and improvements is es- 

 timated at $76,000. 



As usual, a large proportion of the fires were caused 

 by campers, The rangers were forced to make numerous arrests 

 for violation of forest laws, chiefly the law that requires 

 carnpfires to be extinguished before leaving camp, A few of- 

 fenders were given jril sentences, but as a rule the minimum 

 fine of $50 was imposed. 



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