ORGANIZATION OF THE FOREST SERVICE 



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the forests by the public has increased the hazards from fire, but in 

 spite of this fact less than 0.1% of the total area within the National 

 Forest boundaries is annually burned. There are three reasons for 

 this excellent record, namely: (1) the improved efficiency of the 

 trained, permanent organization in all details and phases of fire pre- 

 vention and suppression ; (2) the increase during recent years in mile- 

 age of protection roads and trails making quick ingress of fire-fighting 

 equipment and men to combat fires; and (3) the great help offered by 



FIG. 102. Observer reporting fire at Oak Mountain Lookout station, Ouachita 



National Forest, Arkansas. The Osborne fire finder is widely used to determine 



the location of a fire after the observer sights it through the instrument on the 



topographic map in the lookout station. 



the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps, in reducing fire hazards, 

 in actual fire suppression, and in providing a large body of young 

 men quickly available in case fires are started. 



Records show that of all the causes of forest fires in National 

 Forests, lightning causes about 41%, careless smokers 21%, incendiar- 

 ism 15%, camp fires left unextinguished 10%; and the balance is at- 

 tributed to debris burning, railroads, lumbering, and miscellaneous 

 causes. Areas of very serious fire hazard exist in the Inland Empire 

 of northern Idaho and western Montana and in southern California. 

 A deficiency of precipitation resulting in insufficiently fire-resistant 



