FIRE PROTECTION IN THE NATIONAL FORESTS 583 



good locations for administrative work and incidentally for fire protection. 

 Many of these have already, and eventually many more will be connected 

 with the supervisor's office by telephone. Pastures have been fenced at prac- 

 tically all of the headquarters, so that horses are easily available in case 

 of need, and similar pastures at many strategic points throughout the moun- 

 tains are a great convenience in patrol and fighting fires. 



An exceedingly important form of permanent inijirovement work which 

 has been done largely during the past two years, is the construction of lookout 

 stations on commanding peaks. The amount of work necessary varies greatly 

 and may be no more than the lopping or cutting of a few trees which hide 

 the view, or the fastening of spikes or steps to a tree trunk for a ladder. The 

 more elaborate fire towers or lookout towers consist either of wooden or steel 

 towers of varying height according to the need. The equipment of lookout 

 stations also varies greatly, from the naked eye of the patrolman to an elabo- 

 rate range finding ai)paratus on the Arkansas National Forest where, by a 

 system of accurately placed and numbered wires, it is possible by triangulation 

 and specially prepared maps to locate fires within comparatively small areas. 

 Other stations are provided only with a map which may or may not be 

 oriented, or a com])ass. 



During the last two years a large number of tool boxes have been placed 

 at strategic points through the forests. Obviously the judicious distribution 

 of sufficient quantities of the proper kind of tools saves an enormous amount of 

 time in getting to fires. 



Very little work has been done by the Forest Service in the construction 

 of fire lines, chiefly because of the immense area under administration and the 

 great cost of construction, and upkeep of any adequate system. Something, 

 however, has been done by cooperation in southern California where water- 

 shed protection is so vital to the interests of the fruit growers. To a small 

 extent simple and cheap fire lines, often little more than the burning of brush 

 and other inflammable material, have been constructed around dangerous 

 areas of slash. Roads and trails often serve as fire lines, as does also the 

 work which railroad companies are doing on their rights of way. 



In order that the fire menace may not be increased by the cutting of 

 timber, every timber sale contract approved in the Forest Service provides 

 for some disposal of the brush and debris from the cutting. Where there is 

 very little danger from fire and it is silviculturally advisable, limbs are 

 frequently lopped so as to lie close to the ground and decay in the shortest 

 possible time. Where, however, the danger from fire is great, purchasers are 

 usually required to pile the brush so that it may be burned easily and without 

 damage to the remaining stand. Some contracts provide also that standing 

 dead trees shall be cut even though it is almost certain that the stub does not 

 contain merchantable timber. This is advisable because of the fact that burn- 

 ing stubs scatter sparks badly. It has been found on one of the forests in 

 the southwest that the cutting of dead stubs does not cost more than 2V2 

 cents per thousand feet board measure for the timber actually removed. The 

 burning of brush by the Forest Service is usually inexpensive, and in one case 

 in a yellow pine stand on a southwestern forest, cost only 31/2 cents per thou- 

 sand feet board measure. In the heavy Douglas fir in the northwest where 

 it is necessary to cut almost clean, temporary fire lines have been constructed 

 around the sale area and any trees that may be left and the slash has been 

 burned. This burning of the brush and consequent exposure of the mineral 

 soil produces conditions favorable to the rei)roduction of the desirable Douglas 

 fir, rather than the comparatively undesirable species. 



