(Frrm the Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



San Francisco Office) 



RATIONAL FOREST FIEES CAUSED 



LOSS OF 677, 816 IN 1914 174-F 



Washington : Fire on the national forests of the 



west in 1914 caused a loss to the government nf not quite 

 340,000,000 board feet of merchantable timber, valued at 

 $307,303, and of re production (or young growth of trees) val- 

 ued at $192,408, according to statistice just compiled by th< 

 forest service. There were 6605 fires, of which only 1545 burn 

 ed over an area of 10 acres or more. About 77 per cent of all 

 the fires did damage of less than 100 each. In addition to 

 the losses suffered by the government , timber on state and pri- 

 vate lands within the forests , totaling 228,008,000 board feet 

 and valued at $175,302 v/as lost. The total area burned over 

 was 690,240 acres, of which 310,585 acres were state and 

 private lands. 



Notwithstanding that it was an exceptionally bad year 

 for fires, on account of high temperatures, heavy winds, and 

 prolonged drought, the average loss per fire was 103 against 

 $131 in 1911, when there were only about half as many fires. 

 Eighty-five per cent of the total loss was caused by fires 

 in Idaho ,IIontana, Oregon, and v r ashington,whe re more than half 

 the timber in all the national forests stands. Less than one- 

 tenth of one per cent of this timber was affected. Of the 

 6605 fires reported, 3691 - or 55,9 per cent - occurred in 

 those states; and of the 99 fires causing losses of more th. u 

 1,000 each, 81 were in that region. Lightning was the 

 chief cause, starting 2,032 fires; campers came next v/ith 

 1,126 fires. 



JL JL JL 



