(Prom the Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture 



San Francisco Office) 



FOREST PROTECTION 

 SAVES $C, 000, 000 



The forest fires that occurred in California last 

 Summer directly threatened to destroy Government resources worth 

 mere than 3,000,000, according to the official report of United 

 States District Forester Coert DuBois. The forest rangers, how- 

 ever, succeeded in preventing most of the loss, so that the 

 actual damage sustained hy the Gocernirient will not exceed $90,000 



The fire season in California is said to have been 

 the worst in the history of the Forest Service, 146H fires oc- 

 curring as against a normal average for this district of 798. 

 Conditions of wind and temperature were at ti.nes extremely fa- 

 vorable tc the spread of fires, and only the utmost promptness 

 and energy on the part of the rangers prevented mere of them 

 from developing into serious conflagrations. A tctal area of 

 53,763 acres was burned, of which 44,163 acres were brush. 



The worst previous season is said to have been that 

 of 1910 in which 553 fires occurred in California. Owing 

 largely to the undeveloped condition of most of the National 

 Forests at that time, cnly 227 fires could be attacked promptly 

 enough tc prevent them frnm getting beyond control; while the 

 326 that g.->t away caused a loss of "a little ever $500,000. The 

 Government's protection system is described as having greatly 

 improved since 1910. Telephone lines have been extended, look- 

 out points equipped and manned, and the forest firemen have 

 been stationed at more advantageous points. The result has been 

 that last season 1200 fires were pr.t out in their early stages -- 

 nearly a thousand more than in 1910 and the 268 that got away 

 were fought ^ut before they had burned an area of a half-mile 

 square 



The conditions surrounding every fire that started 

 were studied by forest officers, and the amount of damage di- 

 rectly threatened by each was computed. On the basis of these 

 reports, the District Forester has calculated the loss averted 

 at $3,013,000. jhis figure is believed to be conservative. 

 It is corroborated to some extent by a comparison with 1910 

 when a little more than one -third as many fires caused an ac- 

 tual loss of 500,000. 



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