1920 21 



DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FOEESTS. 



200 



The fires of railway origin were distributed as follows : 



Per cent. 



Canadian National Railway 32.3 



(exclusive of northern line) 



Canadian Pacific Railway 27.9 



Canadian National Railway 16.4 



(northern transcontinental line only) 



Timiskaming and Northern Ontario 9.9 



Algoma Eastern 5.0 \ 



Algoma Central 4.4 



Grand Trunk 4.1 



100.00 



: Other Causes. — Neglected camp fires caused 151 fires, half as many as the 

 railways, or 11.7 per cent, of the total season's fires. The indifference and care- 

 lessness exhibited by tourists, picnickers, berrypickers, and other users of the 

 woods, as regards this matter is incredible except by those knowing the facts. 

 This attitude will continue until the Act provides a jail sentence for flagrant 

 instances. 



Settlers were responsible for 11.0 per cent, of all fires; nearly one-third of 

 these were permit fires which were allowed to get beyond control. 



The percentage of all fires due to carelessness of those engaged in lumlierihg 

 operations this year was 4.6; this is the highest within the last four years, ^lore 

 co-operation on the part of this industry might be expected during the peaks 

 of hazard. 



Area Burned. — In all, 358,851 acres were reported burned over in 1920 as 

 'compared with 922,161 acres in 1919; 30,172 acres in 1918; and 384,164 acres 

 in 1917. This acreage was classified thus: 



CLASSIFICATION OF BURNED-OVER AREA 



As shown in the table, the area of timber land burned over, fell this season 

 to 14.7 per cent, of the whole, the lowest figure yet. As in previous years, the 

 area lumbered over formed the setting for the bulk of the , fires, being 65.5 per 

 cent, of the total burned acreage. During the past four seasons nearly 1,000,000 

 acres (equal to 40 townships) of this type of land has been .burned ovpr (60 per 

 cent, of the total ar.ea) and the existing yOung trees mostly killed. When it is 

 considered:, that "this- high percentage is -because of its Covering of logging slash, 

 and that'tfiis is the^land upon which' we :are ■depending- f6r{. the next crop of timber 

 to furnish revenuCj^onefs seized, of the Jrnportance of^dQaliTjg with the pro;l)lcm 

 of slasli disposal. 



