1901. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 59 



August 3d a large conflagration raged August 29th, a blaze was discovered on 



in the heavily timbered country about the west side of Sierra Blanca, makino- 



Gothic, 35 miles north of Gunnison, de- rapid headway. The western slope of the 



stroying four thousand acres of pine and mountain was denuded, 

 balsam forest. August 30th, the woods fringing the 



About August Sth another broke out at entire northern boundary of Archuleta 



the headwaters of Texas and Willow County were found to be i-nited. A 



Creeks, affluents of the Taylor River, west large fire was burning near the head of 



of the Continental divide, in Gunnison Four Mile Creek, the smoke resembling 



County. The destruction wrought was a huge cloud as it passed over Pagosa 



very great, for the fire extended some fifteen Springs. Some forty square miles of 



miles in a northwesterly direction over a Yellow Pine forest were burnt over. It 



track six miles wide covered with magnifi- was asserted that sheep herders who fired 



cent spruce timber. the grass in order to improve the pasture 



August 1 2th a fire started at the head of for next year are responsible in this case. 

 Silver Creek in Gilpin County and spread Local conflagrations were also reported 



over a considerable area. Want of fuel during the month of August from Ea-le 



stopped it ; there is but little woodland Pitkin, Grand and Larimer counties, the 



left in Gilpin County. Medicine Bow country west of the range, in 



August 1 6th, two fires originated on the North Park especially, suffering severelv. 



South Fork of the Rio Grande, one east The northern and western part of Routt 



the other west of the river, within three County, lying outside of the White River 



miles of each other. The one on the west Reserve, also lost many square miles of 



side burned up the mountain and stopped timber. 



after reaching timber line, but that on the With the advent of September, local 

 east side burned a swath from five to twenty rain began to fall, and in many places the 

 miles wide, taking everything in its way moisture was sufficient to prevent new 

 driving several hundred thousands of fires from taking a start. But little was 

 cattle and sheep into the valley, and de- done anywhere to quench those burning 

 stroying mine buildings, machinery and outside of the Reserves, the State au- 

 shaft houses in the whole region at the thorities being helpless for lack of funds 

 headwaters of the Alamosa and Conejas and the employees of the United States 

 rivers. The length of the path burned working under a system of divided author- 

 over was about forty-five miles. All of ity. The forest reserves, however were 

 this devastation can be traced to sheep herd- well protected, the result for the season 

 ers who, either carelessly or maliciously, being as follows : 

 left their logs burning on breaking camp. ^ Q fireg? left burni exthl . 



On the same day a large fire was raging gu ished before any damage was 



in tne range of hills on the east side of the done 16^ 



Blue River a few miles north of Dillon, 2> Fires (not ' included' above)' "which 

 in Summit County. The county comnus- had - ed considerable hea d- 



sioners were in session, but did not au- before d were extin . 



thonze any action towards saving the tim- gu i s hed bv forest officials (area 



ber. The result was a destruction of burned over 361 % acres) 21 



heavy pine and spruce forest that had L fires ^ requir i ng extraordi- 



covered an area twenty miles long and six effoi% time and expense to 



miles wide, the greatest injury being done extinguish (area burned over 



between the Blue River and Williams' innniorrpc 1 ! t- 



_, 1CJ,0(J.S tlClCa^ 1/ 



*" Total number of fires within 



August 28th, a fierce forest fire raged . 



., ft . . ., ., ., ? t the reserves 201 



on the mountain three miles northwest of 



Ouray, destroying about eight square miles The area affected within the reserves 



of timber. was 10,363^ acres. It consisted of live 



