Forest Fires 85 



this. The wild animals of the forest flee for their 

 lives, forgetting each other and thinking only of 

 escape. Sometimes the fire catches up with them 

 and, like the trees, they too are killed. It takes 

 but a few minutes to start such a fire as that; 

 but it requires a hundred years to bring back the 

 trees. 



In summer, fires are frequently started along 

 the railroads by sparks from the engines. People 

 out for a walk in the woods throw down lighted 

 cigars and cigarettes, or drop lighted matches. 

 So in many ways the fires are started. The trees 

 are almost as necessary to our welfare as food. 

 We could not do without them. Always, there- 

 fore, we should be very careful when in the 

 woods and forests. 



Many people have been killed in these forest 

 fires, for there are times when such fires will go 

 as rapidly as ten miles an hour with the wind, 

 and no one can run far at such a pace. Once, 

 years ago, there was a great forest fire in the state 

 of Michigan. This fire at first was a small one, 

 and burning in sight of a town. It was only a brush 

 fire, so no one put it out. But a high wind came 

 up, the fire scattered and grew larger. Pieces of 



