240 



THE FORESTER. 



October, 



reports was still burning. The first re- 

 port stated that fully thirty-five square 

 miles of heavy timber had been burned, 

 and many mine buildings destroyed. A 

 large number of men fought the fire for 

 days but were unable to get it under con- 

 trol, and assistance was then asked of 

 the Department of the Interior, as the fire 

 was burning over government land. The 

 fire was caused through the neglect of a 



Columbia River on both Washington and 

 Oregon shores. The town of Moores- 

 ville, four miles back from the Columbia 

 River, was surrounded by fire and for 

 some time grave fears were entertained 

 for its safety. Ranchers living in this dis- 

 trict had many buildings destroyed by fire, 

 and for some days they were compelled to 

 fig-lit the flames. The loss in timber will 

 amount to many thousands of dollars. 



SCENE IN PIKE'S PEAK FOREST RESERVE, SHOWING PRESENT CONDITION OF MANY MOUNTAIN 



SLOPES THAT WERE ONCE HEAVILY WOODED. RECKLESS CUTTING AND REPEATED 



FIRES HAVE REDUCED THE FORESTS OF COLORADO TO ABOUT SIX 



PER CENT. OF THE STATE'S AREA. MEANWHILE THE 



FIRES CONTINUE TO BURN. 



camping party to extinguish their fire. In 

 passing it may be noted that only about 

 six per cent, of the present area of Colo- 

 rado is forest land ; and this small portion 

 is being rapidly destroyed by fires each 

 year. 



Washington. Forest fires during August 

 were the worst in years and did great 

 damage to the timber belt along: the 



Especially fierce fires during the early 

 part of the month raged between Lake 

 Sammanish and on the Snoqualmie River, 

 and Halley's lumber camp on the Sno- 

 qualmie River was only saved by the 

 strenuous efforts of fifty men who fought 

 the flames. Thousands of dollars' worth 

 of timber was destroyed. Another tre- 

 mendous fire raged in Woodenville and 

 Grace on the Seattle Division of the 



