1922-23 



DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 



169 



Lightning is known to have caused 74 fires, or 5.5 per cent, of the total 

 number. Of this number 16 were in the Sudbury Inspectorate, and. 32 in the 

 Algonquin Inspectorate. 



Logging operations were responsible for 58 fires, or 4.3 per cent, of the 

 total. Seventy-six fires, or 5.7 per cent, of the total were due to miscellaneous 

 known causes. 



A total of 549 fires, or 40.9 per cent, were classed as unknown. In many 

 cases the cause was fairly definitely set, but proof could not be obtained. 



A total of 1,343 fires were reported with an area burned of 2,120,148 acres. 

 Of this total, 554 fires, or 41.2 per cent., were confined to areas of 5 acres or less; 

 one-half the fires were kept within 10 acres in size, and 69.4 per cent, of the 

 total within areas of 100 acres or less. 



CLASSIFICATION OF BURNED-OVER AREA 



The area of timber land burned over was 593,569 acres, or 28.0 per cent, 

 of the total area burned, as is shown in the above table. This percentage is 

 attributable to the increased percentage of large fires completely getting beyond 

 control. 



Cut-over land formed 14.7 per cent, of the total area burned, and land 

 upon which young growth existed 36.6 per cent., or a combined area of 1,087,196 

 acres. While the amount of timber land burned over is serious, the area com- 

 prised in the former two classes is equally a serious matter as it is from such 

 classes of land that our future timber crop will be secured, and every fire on 

 such areas not only means a longer lapse of time before lumbering operations 

 may be carried on, but in many cases a deterioration in the species of trees on 

 the areas. 



The area of barren and grass land burned over totalled 439,383 acres, or 

 20.7 per cent, of the total. Much of the barren land, which formed the greater 

 part of this area, at one time was covered by merchantable timber. Repeated 

 fires have, however, reduced the bulk of it to little better than a rock desert upon 

 which merchantable timber will not again be available for very long periods 

 of time. 



