14 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



Forest Fire Protection. 



During the past season a change was made in the field organization of the 

 region south of the French River. This territory, known as the Ottawa-Huron 

 region and comprising 10,000,000 acres, was divided into three districts and 

 placed under technical forest engineers. 



Improvement Work: The Forestry Branch is rapidly, installing an over- 

 head system of lookout towers and telephone communication, in order to secure 

 quick detection of fires. 175 miles of telephone lines and 28 lookout towers 

 were constructed this last season. Several hundred miles of roads and trails 

 were opened and cleaned out; landing docks made for boats and canoes; camping 

 grounds made in several places; and signs put up directing travellers as to good 

 camping sites. 



During the past season the following new structures were put up — 38 

 rangers' cabins, three store houses, one car house, one boat house and two oil 

 houses for the storage of gasoline and oil. 



Mechanical. Equipment: Until a few years ago fire fighting in the woods 

 was done by rangers with shovels and mattocks, carrying water to the fires with 

 ordinary buckets. To-day our organization has a large number of portable 

 gasoline engines and pumps which carry from 500 to 1,000 feet of hose. These 

 small portable pumps have proven of great value; in many cases saving the entire 

 cost of all pumps purchased up to date. During the last season 16 of these 

 portable pumps with fire-fighting hose were secured. 



For supervision of forest fire protection along railways and territory adjacent 

 thereto, gasoline power motor cars have been of great assistance. During the 

 past season seven of these power motor cars were purchased. 



On many of the larger waters, power motor boats are being installed for 

 better protection. During the past season three power motor boats were pur- 

 chased. 



I wish to point out that organized, modern forest fire protection requires 

 an over-head quick method of detecting fires at their inception, and then improved 

 mechanical equipment for reaching and successfully fighting them. A consider- 

 able proportion of our expenditure for several years must be in the nature of 

 permanent improvements and should be classed as Capital Expenditure. 

 //~ Air Patrol: During the past season, through an arrangement with the 

 Air Board, about ten million acres were patrolled by seaplanes. It is the opinion 

 of the Forestry Branch stafT that air patrol must be used as a factor in reaching 

 a solution of forest protection. 



The fact of the air-craft working over a district has a very salutary effect 

 on the people using the woods; secures quick and accurate detection of fires 

 and often permits of landing and actually extinguishing them. 



Daily flights of two machines were made, one flying out of Parry Sound, 

 and one out of Whitney. 



Slash Disposal: Some reasonable solution of the slash disposal problem is 

 one of the most pressing needs in connection with fire protection. 



During the last season our field officers have been able to secure consider- 

 able burning of slash at hazardous points in timber operations through the co- 

 operation of the operators. I believe that the timber operators on the whole 

 are prepared to co-operate with the Department in any reasonable slash dis- 

 posal regulations. This question of regulations can only be carried out in a satis- 

 factory manner through the direction of the district officers, as slash disposal 

 is a local problem. 



