1926 



DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 



67 



(4) Fires 



During the autumn of 1924 the Province as a whole had a small amount 

 of rainfall and when freeze-up came the amount of moisture in the soil was 

 abnormally small, the water in the rivers and lakes generally was low and 

 there was little in the swamps. The following winter was accompanied by 

 a light snowfall in all but the more northerly portions of the Province. 

 The spring of 1925 was early except in the Cochrane and parts of the Oba 

 and Western Inspectorates and this coupled with the dry conditions of 

 the soil resulted in a serious fire hazard in some districts during April and 

 May. The hazard in June and July was low due to the frequent rains and 

 heavy growth of green vegetation. From the 6th of August, however, until 

 nearly the middle of September the weather was particularly hot and dry in 

 the southern parts of the Soo and Sudbury Inspectorates and in all parts of 

 the Georgian Bay, Algonquin and Trent Inspectorates, resulting in the occur- 

 rence of a large number of fires in these areas. 



In the Cochrane Inspectorate, with an area of over 18,000,000 acres, only 

 twelve fires were reported for the whole season but the weather was ab- 

 normally wet over the entire Inspectorate, the records showing some precipita- 

 tion on 53 per cent, of the days between the 1st of May and the last of 

 September. 



CLASSIFICATION OF FOREST FIRES 

 By Month 



*April and May. 

 **September and October. 



By Origin 



