496 



Yearbook^ of Agriculture 1949 



AVERAGE NUMBER OF FIRES, AREA BURNED, 

 COST OF SUPPRESSION, ESTIMATED DAM- 

 AGE, AND SUPPRESSION-JOB-LOAD PER 

 DAY FOR FIVE CLASSES OF FIRE DAYS. 

 FROM RECORDS OF 14 NORTHEASTERN 

 STATES FOR OCTOBER 1942 THROUGH 

 DECEMBER 1944 



Class of day 



Item 



1234 



Number of fires . 4 21 94 2 66 53 



Area burned 



(acres) 49 300 I, 852 9, 490 34, 5 



Suppression cost 



(dollars) 77 738 3, 293 II, 877 33,000 



Damage (dol- 

 lars) 158 1,596 8,947 37.663 110,000 



Suppression-] ob- 

 load (man- 

 hours) 13 133 894 3, 463 8, 100 



1 All figures for class 5 days were estimated by 

 extrapolation. 



ords from the Northeastern States for 

 1943 and 1944 are summarized in the 

 accompanying table to show how these 

 features of the work of controlling a 

 fire vary with the fire danger. 



The number of fires proved to be 

 about 5 times greater for a class 2 day 

 than a class 1 day, 23 times greater for 

 a class 3, 66 times greater for a class 4, 

 and probably 132 times greater for a 

 class 5 day. The more rapid spread and 

 difficulty of control for the higher 

 classes are indicated by the greater 

 area burned, despite the better advance 

 preparation and stronger control ac- 

 tion usually taken. The acres burned 

 averaged 6, 38, 194, and 704 times 

 greater for class 2, 3, 4, and 5 days, re- 

 spectively, than for class 1. Suppression 

 costs, damages, and job-load varied in 

 a similar way. 



This type of information enables the 

 forester to interpret fire-danger classes 

 in terms of his fire-control job and per- 

 mits him to prepare more nearly for 

 each new day with enough but not too 

 many men, and with adequate fire 

 equipment. 



New uses for danger ratings are still 

 being discovered. They extend beyond 



the forewarning that permits the for- 

 ester to prepare better for the amount 

 of suppression work brought by each 

 new day. They also are used to pro- 

 mote better fire prevention, better ac- 

 tion on each fire that starts, and more 

 equitable distribution of funds among 

 districts. 



Funds available for fire prevention 

 are, of course, an important determi- 

 nant of successful fire control. Fire- 

 control organizations endeavor to use 

 them when, where, and how they will 

 do the most good. It is better business 

 to concentrate certain prevention 

 activities on the higher-class days be- 

 cause each fire prevented will save 

 more in fire-fighting costs and in dam- 

 ages and because many more fires 

 might be prevented. It has therefore 

 proved profitable in some areas on the 

 higher-class days to issue newspaper 

 and radio warnings urging the public 

 to use care with fire. Debris-burning 

 permits are canceled. Railroads are re- 

 quired to be sure that locomotive ash- 

 pans are tight and that spark arresters 

 function. Fire patrols follow all trains. 

 Teachers are asked to caution all chil- 

 dren, especially in rural schools. Such 

 activities can produce greater benefits 

 on high- than on low-class days. A sin- 

 gle fire prevented in the Northeast on 

 a class 4 day will save the people $187 

 in costs and damages; for class 1 the 

 saving would be $58. 



As an aid to preparedness, fire-dan- 

 ger ratings, combined with weather 

 forecasts, make possible advance prep- 

 aration for bad days and savings on 

 easy days. On the national forests of 

 the West, where a relatively large force 

 of men is employed throughout the 

 summer, the whole force may be held 

 in readiness for fire duty on bad days. 

 But on class 1 and 2 days it is a justi- 

 fiable risk to use the men for other 

 necessary work like repairing tele- 

 phone lines and roads. Fire-control 

 organizations in the East typically 

 have a smaller regular organization, 

 which is enlarged for bad fire days by 

 hiring farmers and other cooperators 

 who have been trained to work in well- 



