98 REPORT OF THE No. 7 



In contrast with this, the Trent Inspectorate, while very much smaller in 

 area, had a total of 202 fires during the season and all but two of these were either 

 out or under control within twenty-four hours from the time they were reported. 

 This was made possible by the system of roads, towers and telephone lines in the 

 district and the number of settlers available as fire fighters. The total area 

 burned in this inspectorate was 5,345 acres. 



Of the 1,550 fires reported 19.2 per cent, occurred in the month of July and 

 burned 17.6 per cent, of the total area. In August, which was the worst month 

 of the season, 30.5 per cent, of the total number of fires accounted for 48.6 per 

 cent, of the total area. September accounted for 13.4 per cent, of the fires 

 and 29.4 per cent, of the area. In October, 128 fires were reported or 8.2 per 

 cent, but the area burned by these was less than one per cent, of the total area. 

 In the causes of fires, campers, which includes prospectors, berry pickers 

 and tourists, are again high with 26.7 per cent. Lightning jumps up to 16.1 per 

 cent, the highest percentage of fires due to this cause that we have had. This 

 was due to the large number of dry electric storms during the season. One 

 storm is known to have started sixteen fires in one Chief Ranger District alone. 

 Of the total area burned over the fires caused by campers accounted for 

 16.8 per cent, and those caused by lightning for 31.4 per cent. Fires due to 

 railways while forming 12.0 per cent, of the total number were responsible for 

 only one-tenth of one per cent, of the total area. 



Of the total number of fires 65.6 per cent, were confined to areas of five 

 acres or less and 87.4 per cent, to areas of 100 acres or less with 4.1 per cent, 

 reaching areas of more than 1,000 acres. 



Timberland burned over totalled 114,938 acres of which 104,264 acres were 

 in the Hudson and Kenora Inspectorates. 



The high acreage of land classed as barren is accounted for by the areas of 

 old burn in the two western inspectorates over which fires again ran. 



