64 



CIVIC BIOLOGY 



Causes. Natural causes, lightning and friction, account for 

 few forest fires, and as these occur during rainstorms, there is 

 almost no damage from them. Study local forest fires and 

 tabulate under the following causes: 



FOREST FIRKS IN MASSACHUSETTS IN 1008 



CAUSE 



NUMBER 



REMARKS 



Railroad trains (Locomotives) 



Sawmills 



Burniiu 



490 (38%) 



12 (1%) 



90 (7%) 



Smokers . . . . . . .111 (8%) 



Campers' fires . 

 Boys (incendiary) 

 Unknown . 



1 (0.1%) 



| iso (11%) 



1 314 (25%) 



Usually cause about 50% of all 

 forest fires. Can be stopped by 

 proper use of spark arresters, 

 or by burning oil, by turning 

 hose into ashes before dump- 

 ing, and by clearing roadbed 

 of inflammable rubbish. 



Should have men organized, and 

 be provided with adequate fire- 

 fighting apparatus. 



Escape of these fires can be 

 avoided by burning when snow 

 is on the ground or during a 

 wet spell. 



Those who must smoke in the 

 woods in a dry time should be 

 compelled by law to dive under 

 water to light up and stay down 

 as long as there is a spark in 

 their pipes or cigarettes. 



Boy Scouts may stop such fires. 

 Probably mostly set by smokers 

 and careless or incendiary boys. 



Iii all, for Massachusetts 1378 forest fires were reported 

 in 1908, which burned over 40,327 acres of woodland, nearly 

 2 per cent of the wooded area of the state. In the whole of 

 Prussia 1400 acres have been burned in the past twenty-five 

 years, or less than 0.02 of 1 per cent a year. At this rate the 



