CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION , 117 



In the Hiding Mountain district there were several serious fires in the spring. 

 Five settlers lost their effects. The fire ran mostly in dry timber, but 10.000 feet and 

 about a section of green timber were reported as destroyed. 



The Turtle Mountain reserve was unfortunate. The staff were kept on the alert 

 watching incipient fires and were keeping them in control, but on May 14 a fire from 

 south of the international boundary, which had received a good start, driven by a gale, 

 swept irresistibly across the reserve in range 19. Later investigation showed that it 

 did little damage to the large timber, but that the small timber was killed. 



NORTH- WEST TERRITORIES. 



At least twelve fires were reported by the fire-rangers in the vicinity of Moose 

 Mountain reserve, in Assiniboia. For most of these the railway is responsible, but 

 one was started by a farmer burning rubbish. The only result was the destruction 

 of the prairie grass, but it was with difficulty that the fire was kept out of the reserve 

 in such cases. 



BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



In the railway belt, although the season was dry, the fires were kept well under 

 control. Not more than half a dozen fires were reported and none of them caused 

 much damage. The most important noted was one on the Arrowhead branch which 

 covered an area of about one square mile of timber, principally cedar. There were 

 twenty-two fire-rangers employed under the Dominion Forestry Branch, eight of 

 whom were located in the railway belt in British Columbia. 



The reports from other parts of the province are nearly all to the effect that owing 

 to the damp season no forest fires occurred. A few small fires occurred in some places, 

 but the only one of importance was in the Atlin district. This is stated to have done 

 considerable damage to timber, but it burnt itself out without occasioning any other 

 loss. The causes given are prospectors' fires and Indians burning lands for the purpose 

 of improving wild berries, but one report states that prospectors and miners are as a 

 rule careful in extinguishing their fires and the Indians are becoming more so. From 

 Clinton the following statement was received : ' The season throughout has been too 

 wet since the end of last June for fire to spread. This is the first time in my ex- 

 perience for thirty-six years here that a report of this kind can be made. In the 

 decade ending 1869, and also in the early seventies, aided by rainless summers, there 

 were a very great number of extensive and disastrous fires which cleared off a lot of 

 timber. I notice, however, that the scene of every one of these fires is again clothed 

 with a dense growth of the various members of the pines family, and infer that there 

 is not the slightest danger of this province ever becoming entirely denuded of a timber 

 growth.' 



