over the surface of the ground to a distance of 

 at least 5 feet from the fireplace at the front 

 and on the sides. This duff is highly inflam- 

 mable and in general it should be entirely 

 removed or else well covered with sand or 

 gravel. In some instances an area approxi- 

 mating 6 to 8 feet in width and of equal length 

 is sometimes paved with flagging immediately 

 in front of camp stove or Hreplace. An area of 

 paving of this size is not necessary and usually 

 detracts very much from the appearance of the 

 camp stove or fireplace. 



There are a number of methods which are 

 adopted for controlhng the fire hazard. Among 

 the more effective of these methods are the 

 following: 



A. Use of water or earth to extinguish fires before 

 leaving them . (Earth is preferred where fireplace is 

 not lined with fare-clay brick.) 



B. Construction of chimneys with dampers and spark 

 arresters. 



C. Construction of fare lane around the recreation area. 



D. Use of a type of fuel wliich produces a minimum 

 quantity of sparks. 



E. Use of plates instead of grates for fareplaces. 



Since fire is the worst enemy of the forest, it is 

 important that all stoves and fireplaces be lo- 

 cated and designed to create a minimum fire 

 hazard. 



FUEL PROBLEMS 



When the campground or picnic area is locat- 

 ed where there is an ample supply of fuel, the 

 fuel problem is not an important factor. Diffi- 

 culty is encountered where the supply of wood 

 for fuel is limited. In some of the suburban, 

 municipal, and metropohtan park areas near 

 large centers of population, the fuel problem is 

 very serious. In such areas, it is almost neces- 

 sary to confine the use of fuel to charcoal. 



It is advisable, whether or not fuel is scarce, 

 to have some method of controlling the use of 

 fuel and, especially, of discouraging its ex- 

 cessive use. On some campgrounds and picnic 



areas, the occupants cut their own wood from 

 a designated area, and the trees which may be 

 removed are definitely marked or designated. In 

 hardwood forests, this procedure is not practical 

 because the green wood is difficult to burn. 



Wherever a supply of wood for stove and 

 fireplace use is placed in piles near the camp 

 stove or fireplace, and the occupants are 

 allowed to use it freely and vnthout charge, 

 there is apt to be a great waste of fuel and an 

 increased cost of maintenance. On the other 

 hand, if suitable fuel is stored in a stock pile 

 within a reasonable distance of any group of 

 fireplaces or stoves, the occupants of the area 

 wiU be less inclined to waste wood, because of 

 the additional labor required to carry the extra 

 wood from the stock pile to the fireplace. In 

 general, wood is more apt to be wasted on 

 picnic areas than upon campgrounds. 



The most effective procedure for controlhng 

 the consumption of fuel is to authorize someone 

 to maintain, for the benefit of any intensively 

 used campground or picnic area, a "wood 

 yard" from which wood may be purchased. 

 Through such a concession the campers and 

 picnickers are not inclined to waste fuel, and 

 the maintenance cost otherwise incurred for 

 providing fuel is avoided. In some recreation 

 areas wood is supplied in bundles and a small 

 charge is made for each bundle as it is taken 

 from the "wood yard." 



On intensively used campgrounds and picnic 

 areas the Forest Service will probably find it 

 advisable to furnish firewood through a conces- 

 sionaire for a service charge sufficient to cover 

 this item and other items of service essential for 

 the proper administration of the area. 



In densely wooded areas where fireplaces 

 are situated in such locations that the sparks 

 from the burning wood may set fire to the sur- 

 rounding trees, the picnickers should be re- 

 quested to use charcoal, which they bring or 

 may buy on the site. 



