HOW FIRES DESTROY OUR FORESTS 



BY J. V. HOFMANN, U. S. FOREST SERVICE 



THE destruction of a forest may be accomplished in 

 one spectacular conflagration. Such an event will 

 be universally regarded as a lamentable calamity. 

 Public sentiment will be greatly aroused and sympathy 

 will be vividly expressed. The loss in forest wealth, in 



WHERE NATURE IS GIVEN A CHANCE 



A stand of mature yellow pine with a splendid understory of yellow pine which makes a com- 

 plete stai.d when the large timber is removed. Second growth comes in under the mature forest 

 when fires are kept out. Crater National Forest, Southern Oregon. 



itself when the young growth is annually or even less 



often destroyed by fire. 



The successive stages in the destruction of a forest by 



fire are recorded in the appearance of the forest. Certain 



outstanding features, perfectly evident even to the un- 

 trained observer, characterize these suc- 

 cessive stages in progressive destruction. 

 The first stage is marked by the occur- 

 rence of the native forest in patches, on 

 the same slopes, in the valleys, or in the 

 moist situations. The second stage is 

 indicated by the presence of remnants of 

 the preceding forest either in standing 

 snags or down charred logs in the midst 

 of the even-aged growing and seeding 

 stock. The third stage is characterized 

 by the young trees, not yet seeding, but 

 in even-aged, well-stocked stands, with 

 here and there the standing snags of the 

 preceding forest. In the fourth stage 

 there is young growth, with the seedlings 

 either standing alone or in small groups. 

 The fifth stage shows seed trees, but 

 with the trees of seeding age scattered 

 or in groups. In the sixth stage the area 

 is covered with brush or grass. The 

 seventh stage is that of the barren area 



personal property, and often in human 

 life inspires a grim determination in 

 those directly affected to prevent the re- 

 currence of such a catastrophe. But, all 

 too soon, the public feeling grows calm 

 again, the distressing event is forgotten, 

 and another stage is set at once for a 

 repetition of the tragedy. This, more- 

 over, has been the history of all the great 

 forest fires that have taken place in the 

 United States of recent years. However, 

 these stern events are not so quickly for- 

 gotten in the forest itself; in the very 

 trees are found the records of all the fires 

 that have occurred for generations past. 

 While these great historic fires have 

 attracted the attention of the public, there 

 are other types of forest fire which, al- 

 though they excite little interest or fear, 

 are slowly but surely causing the de- 

 struction of the forests. The most com- 

 mon among these is the surface fire, 

 which is often the result of "light burning." It is some- 

 times carelessly set or even maliciously started for per- 

 il reasons. However they originate, the final effect 

 of repeated fires is the same : a forest can not perpetuate 



A FOREST WITHOUT A FUTURE 



No reproduction under mature stand of yellow pine. Young growth has been destroyed by 

 surface fires. Note fire scar on tree marked A. Exposed dry slopes will seldom reforest 



and artificial restocking is difficult and expensive. 



naturally after the timber has been removed 

 Crater National Forest, Southern Oregon. 



or the eroded slope. This is the general order of trans- 

 formation when successive fires convert a productive 

 forest into a barren waste. The manner and the time 

 of the occurrence of each of these changes are clearly 



