FOREST PROTECTION 

 SECTION 



FOREST FIRE CONTROL 



FOREST FIRE OCCURRENCE 



For the second consecutive year, the Province of Ontario 

 experienced a relatively light fire season. A total of 1,219 

 fires burned 9,478 acres, and fire damage was correspond- 

 ingly low. Acreage burned proved to be the second lowest 

 since the inception of formal Provincial fire records in 

 1917. Of the 1,219 fires, 89 per cent were controlled at 10 

 acres or less in size, and 10 per cent between 10.1 and 100 

 acres. Except for one 750-acre occurrence, the remaining 

 one per cent were in the 100-500 acre range. 



Fire danger conditions commenced very early in the 

 season, and burning index ratings reached extreme on many 

 occasions throughout the spring period. During April and 

 May, fires occurred at a record-setting pace, and by May 

 31st 854, or 70 per cent of the season's fires, had occurred 

 and 8,957 acres, or 95 per cent of the season's total acreage, 

 had burned. With the advent of cool, rainy weather in early 

 June, fire danger conditions were favourably modified and 

 they remained so throughout the balance of the fire season. 



When related to the previous five-, and 10-year fire 

 occurrence averages for the Province, the 1968 total of 

 1,219 fires is 74 per cent of the former and 82 per cent of 

 the latter. 



The area burned, which was 9,478 acres, was 26 per cent 

 of the previous five-year average of 36,416 acres and six 

 per cent of the 10-year figure of 145,393 acres. 



Forest recreation continued to lead all other causal agen- 

 cies as the major cause of forest fires in Ontario. 



FIRE CONTROL OPERATIONS 



The 7.7-acre average fire size for 1969 compares quite 

 favourably with the previous 10-year figure of 10.8 acres 

 and reflects the benefits of the early detection and fast hard- 

 hitting initial attack concept adopted in the Province. 



The basic Land and Forests suppression force, comprised 

 of 120 five-, or seven-man unit crews strategically located 

 across the fire districts, took initial action on 752 fires. 

 Municipal forces, organized under the fire warden system, 

 initially attacked 241 outbreaks. The public, timber licen- 

 cees and other agencies initially dealt with 226 fires. Water 

 bombing again proved successful on many fires. Of the 

 water dropping actions taken, 24 comprised the initial 

 attack. 



Aerial detection operational evaluation programs con- 

 tinued in six districts. Results indicated that organized de- 

 tection systems, using aircraft supplemented by towers, can 

 provide the required coverage in an efficient manner. Such 

 systems will become operational in four of these districts in 

 1969. Evaluation programs will continue in the other two 

 districts, and a further two will begin the operational study 

 process. 



TRAINING 



The Fire Suppression Course I program was conducted by 

 local staff on a Regional rather than a Provincial basis, as in 

 previous years. Some sixty personnel were graduated from 

 the program, bringing the total to 381 since the inception 

 of the course in 1952. 



Three senior staff members attended a national fire 

 simulator course organized by the Associate Committee on 

 Forest Fire Protection and presented by the Alberta Forest 

 Service. One attended the United States Forest Service 

 four-week fire management program. 



A portable fire simulator unit was built for use in training 

 initial-attack Fire Bosses. The device presents a fire scene, 

 and through a series of audio and visual inputs a "like-real" 

 fire problem is created. Trainees act as fire boss and direct 

 a control action. 



A further 36 fire personnel attended the Department's 

 Fire Weather Course. 



FIRE PREVENTION 



The first in a series of audio/visual 35 MM slide tape pre- 

 sentations on forest fire prevention planned for use in 

 Provincial Parks and in other areas of the prevention pro- 

 gram came into use. This initial presentation, comprising 

 62 slides, is approximately eight minutes in length and 

 covers the safe use of fire while in the forest. 



The film "Flames in the Forest", originally produced in 

 1963, which portrays fire control operations as conducted 

 in Ontario, was revamped and updated. 



A four-minute radio program, oriented to forest fire 

 prevention, was broadcast on the northern Ontario network 

 of the C.B.C. each weekday during the fire season. The pro- 

 gram outlined the daily forest fire danger and occurrence 

 situation in the Province and provided the opportunity for 

 staff to give timely prevention messages. It will be con- 

 tinued in 1969. 



DEVELOPMENT WORK 



The possibilities of incorporating the use of long-term fire 

 retardant chemicals into control operations were examined. 

 Tests involving aircraft, equipped with the integral float 

 tank system, and truck tankers indicated that such chemi- 



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