THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 



OF THE 



FORESTRY COMMISSIONER 



OK MINNBSOTA. 



The year 1907 was not an exceptional one in having 

 continued dry weather for several weeks in different 

 parts of Northern Minnesota in May-June and in October 

 and November. The damage reported from forest fires 

 was, however, only $16,145. Eight were reported to 

 have been caused by railroad locomotives, eight by 

 hunters, three from clearing land and 29 from causes 

 unknown; but probably the greater part of these last 

 were from burning brush and clearing land. 



The principal damage was from prairie fires, which 

 were considerable in Clay, Polk and Wilkin counties. 

 The number of acres reported burned over, usually re- 

 ported in round numbers, and possibly exaggerated in 

 some instances, were 172,760, damage 123,942. As 

 many as 17 of these fires were reported as caused by 

 railroad locomotives; n were caused from burning 

 brush and meadow. One of the worst of these fires 

 was in Wilkin county, caused by a well-to-do farmer 

 attempting to burn a fire break around his haystacks after 

 having plowed a few furrows. I obtained evidence which 



