Forest Fires. 401 



together with a most luxuriant growth of giant grasses, 

 render these jungle fires practically unmanageable. 

 Each year, however, additional territory is brought 

 under protection. In 1902, nearly 37,000 square 

 miles, or nearly 40% of the area in reserve, but only 

 12% of the total government forest area, were under 

 protection at a cost of $4.00 per square mile or less 

 than one cent per acre, half of what it was 10 years 

 before, and over 2 per cent, of the gross revenue. 

 Nearly 5,000 fires occurred, to be sure, which burnt 

 over 3,000,000 acres, that is to say over 90 per cent, of 

 the area the protection was effective. For nearly 

 half the fires the cause remains unknown. Danger 

 from fire has, however, become less in protected areas 

 because of the changes in herbage and moisture con- 

 ditions. Yet it costs still about two per cent, of the 

 gross revenue to protect the area, and the figures just 

 cited show that this expenditure is only partially 

 effective. In 1909, tho protected area had increased to 

 43,000 square miles, the cost to $5, the efficiency to 

 94 per cent. 



The first successful attempts to deal with forest 

 fires were made in 1864 by Major (later Colonel) G. 

 F. Pearson, who was then Conservator of Forests in 

 the Central Provinces, and who devised a system of 

 cleared fire lines or "fire traces," surrounding the 

 areas to be protected, which were cut and burned over 

 early in the season, a system now in vogue in all India. 

 In the jungle forests the traces must be broad; the 

 grass often taller than an elephant must be cut and 

 burned before the grass on either side of the fire lane is 

 dry enough to burn. 



This protection forms the most important duty of 



