WASHINGTON FOREST FIRE ASSOCIATION :: :: Eleven 



page of this report is a table showing the amount of ground burned 

 over and timber killed and destroyed. The loss to standing timber 

 is somewhat less than last season, a very small percentage of which 

 is owned by members of the Association. 



The most destructive fire occurred in Whatcom County on August 

 19-20-21. About fifteen million feet of timber was killed and de- 

 stroyed by this fire. It was started in green timber, presumably by 

 some hunter or fisherman, and before being discovered burned over 

 quite a territory. Several thousand dollars was expended in checking 

 it and there was little timber destroyed after it was discovered. 



Whatcom County suffered most from fires of any county in the 

 state and this was due to the excessively dry weather and strong winds 

 which prevailed there during the greater part of July and August. 

 A large amount of ranch land was also burned over in this county, 

 doing considerable damage to farm property in the destruction of 

 buildings, fences and crops. This was the driest zone in the state, 

 and the dense smoke which hung over Western Washington for so 

 long during the summer, came from this locality and from British 

 Columbia. 



Railroads suffered little damage and there was a considerable 

 decrease in the loss to loggers in logs, camp equipment, etc., as com- 

 pared with last year. The chief causes of fires were logging engines 

 and locomotives, railroad engines and campers. There were eighty- 

 five fires of unknown origin. 



Co-Operation : 



We co-operated with and assisted the State and Federal Patrol 

 organizations. The territory patrolled was divided into districts, each 

 district being placed in care of one of our men or one employed by 

 the state. 



More patrolmen were employed by the State Forester this season 

 than heretofore and as we had several additional rangers, the dis- 

 tricts were divided into smaller units which allowed of a more thorough 

 patrol. 



I think the policy adopted by State Forester Ferris in increasing 

 his force of patrolmen is an advance step on the part of the state 

 towards giving a more adequate patrol and I hope to see this policy 

 continued. 



