FOREST RECREATION DEPARTMENT 



33 



The life loss is just as preventable as the fire loss. 

 This is the sad feature of reviewing the past. Not only 

 millions of dollars worth of timber and other values 

 have been ruined because of inadequate fire protection in 

 camping areas but millions of dollars worth of lives have 

 been taken also if you can so value human life. 



There are minimum standards which every camp 

 should meet. Without these the camp is unsafe ; con- 

 versely, with the most simple and practical fire and sani- 

 tation measures in operation, the camp is as safe as a 

 residence in the average small town or village. 



What are the miniiwum requirements? And what is 

 their cost? For if the cost for protection is less than 

 the loss only the grossest indifference will prevent the 

 allotting of funds for the purpose of stopping our yearly 

 loss of property and life. 



One of the most effective fire prevention agencies is a 

 small fireplace structure. The entire use of an area 

 can be directed by proper placement of this recreation 

 improvement. If the fireplaces exist people will use them 

 if rightly located. By placing them in a perfectly safe 

 yet pleasing place there is no danger of the fire built 

 in them getting away. The very form of such a fire- 

 place will encompass the fire and not allow it to spread. 



A guard on a public camping place costs from seventy 

 to one hundred and twenty-five dollars a month. One 

 fireplace costs from three to seven dollars. One fireplace 

 may prevent the forest fire that the guard could never 

 stgp. 



Six dollar fireplaces have been built on certain of the 

 western forest recreation places. They are used wher- 

 ever properly placed. In good locations they will almost 

 eliminate the forest fire hazard from a camp ground. 

 They are made of native rock, half a sack of cement an( 

 nine steel bars, a half inch thick and sixteen inches long. 

 Two twelve-inch walls rising from a stone and concrete 

 base. These walls are thirty inches long, about six 

 inches thick and twelve inches apart. The steel bars are 

 built into the wall forming a grate about nine inches 

 above the base. Nothing could be more simple or more 



.-lA.Mi.AkV HUl -NOT .SIGHTLY' 



This spring development fulfills the demands of hemg sanitary. But an addition of 



a little time and money would have made it attractive also. 



NEITHER SANITARY NOR SIGHTLY 



Such a spring as this while it is not the old "sunk barrel" type 

 is not a guarantee of pure water. The development may be 

 good for stock on the range but not the best thing for the tourist 

 camper. 



serviceable, nor is there any one fac- 

 tor which could do more to prevent 

 campfires spreading. 



Consider this as strictly a fire pre- 

 vention measure. A real service to the 

 camper exists but eliminate that from 

 this reasoning. A fund of $60,000 

 would build more than ten thousand 

 fireplaces. If in five years of serv- 

 ice they would yearly prevent twelve 

 fires costing a thousand dollars each 

 for suppression and loss they would 

 ])ay for themselves. This estimate is 

 not unreasonable. Such a fund would 

 go far towards making safe the wes- 

 tern camping areas in our National 

 Forests. Equal appropriations for 

 several years would make all western 

 forest camping ])laces reasonably fool 

 fireproof. 



The loss of life centers around 



