24. Make a special effort to find out the cause of the 

 fire and if the law has been violated, by an individual 

 or by a railroad. Take time to get at the facts. 

 True dates, correct names and addresses of witness- 

 es, and an exact statement of what happened are im- 

 portant. The Forest Commission will always enforce 

 the law against one whose offence can be proven. 

 It can do nothing on a guess or mere hearsay. Try 

 not to turn in a report with "unknown" or a similar 

 expression on the line marked "cause of the fire." 

 And don't shield anyone! It is a firewarden's duty 

 to show up every man who causes a forest fire. 

 Fires will not stop until that is done. 



25. Make as careful an estimate as possible of the 

 area burned over, and show the character of the for- 

 est. In calculating areas it will be helpful to re- 

 member that one acre equals 43,560 square feet, or a 

 piece about 208x208 feet. A strip y 2 mile (2640 ft.) 

 long by 10 rods (165 ft.) wide equals 10 acres. A 

 strip 1 mile (5280 ft.) long by y 4 mile (1320 ft.) wide 

 equals 160 acres. 



26. Give the best estimate you can of the damage 

 done. You are sure to know more about it than 

 anyone who has not been on the ground. Consider 

 the pemanent effect of the fire, not merely what it 

 seems to have done. Many fires appear to have de- 

 stroyed everything, yet actually do little harm. On 

 the other hand the burning of a young forest is an 

 actual loss, for by it the small trees, or sprouts, are 

 prevented from growing to commercial size. 



VIOLATION CASES. 



27. A firewarden is authorized to arrest without 

 warrant anyone caught violating the fire law. This 

 should be done only when the offender refuses to 



