Forest Fires 



THOUSANDS of trees are killed in this country 

 every year by fires that burn through the forests. 

 A forest fire lasting but a few hours may kill a 

 thousand trees that needed a hundred years to 

 grow. 



There are several kinds of forest fires. Some of 

 them burn for days and days out of sight on the 

 ground. The forest soil is very rich, full of de- 

 cayed leaves and the wood of old dead trees. So 

 such fires frequently burn three or four feet deep 

 into the earth. Fire fighters must dig trenches to 

 stop them. Other fires burn the young trees and 

 low bushes on the forest floor above. The worst 

 fires of all are those that burn high up in the tree- 

 tops. 



Forest fires start in many ways. Suppose a 

 hunter or fisherman to be camping out for the 

 night. Of course, he has a campfire; it burns all 

 night, and all goes well. Early in the morning the 

 hunter rises. He piles more wood on his fire, 



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