FOREST FIRES IN MINNESOTA IN 1903. 



EXTRACT FROM NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF 

 FOREST FIRE WARDEN OF MINNESOTA; EXPLANATION 

 OF THE SYSTEM, WITH ITS COST AND EFFECTIVENESS. 



ALTHOUGH wet weather prevailed 

 during the latter part of the sum- 

 mer and in the season of harvesting, 

 there were dry spells in the spring and 

 late autumn. The number of forest fires 

 reported by the fire wardens was 52, 

 which burned over an area of 15,585 

 acres and did damage to the amount of 

 $28,292. At 27 of these fires, being a 

 little more than half, a fire warden was 

 present to assist in extinguishing and 

 controlling the fire. Of these fires 1 1 

 were caused by clearing land, 9 by rail- 

 road locomotives, 7 from other known 

 cause, and 25 originated from causes 

 unknown. 



The number of prairie fires reported 

 was 35, which burned over 26,308 acres 

 and did damage to the amount of $4,666. 

 At 14 of these fires a fire warden was 

 present and assisted in extinguishing 

 arid controlling the same. They were 

 caused, 9 from burning brush, straw, or 

 stubble ; 4 by railroad locomotives, 3 

 by hunters, 6 from other known causes, 

 and 13 from causes unknown. 



PROSECUTIONS. 



There were eight prosecutions for 

 causing forest and prairie fires, and four 

 convictions obtained. There is natu- 

 rally great reluctance on the part of fire 

 wardens to prosecute their neighbors or 

 fellow-citizens for carelessness in caus- 

 ing fires. 



RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAYS. 



Section 12 of the fire-warden law re- 

 quires railroad companies (which, of 

 course, includes logging railroad com- 

 panies) to keep their right of way to the 

 width of 50 feet on each side of the 

 center of the main track cleared of com- 

 bustible materials. This is found to be 

 a rather difficult provision to enforce. 

 While some roads are kept cleared of 

 combustible material in an exemplary 

 manner, there are companies which are 

 habitually neglectful in this regard. 



The local service, in preventing and 

 fighting fires, both forest and prairie, is 

 rendered by the town supervisors, who 

 are ex-officio fire wardens, and by those 

 whom they summon to assist, and in 

 unorganized territory by fire wardens 

 specially appointed. This service is paid 

 for in the first instance by the counties 

 in which it is rendered, and the state 

 pays to the counties two-thirds of such 

 expense. Up to last year the state paid 

 to the counties only one-third of such 

 expense. It is expected that the coun- 

 ties now will be more prompt and liberal 

 in paying such service. In an ordinary 

 year it may be assumed that the two- 

 thirds of expense the state has to reim- 

 burse to the counties will amount to 

 $4,000. The other expenses pertain to 

 the office of chief fire warden, and in- 

 clude his salary, clerk hire, traveling 

 expenses, postage, printing of (12,000 

 in muslin) warning notices, blanks, cir- 

 culars, etc., and an edition of 4,000 

 copies of his annual report. 



MONEY APPROPRIATED. 



"The item to cover all these ex- 

 penses," says the chief fire warden, " is 

 found in the general appropriation act 

 under the head of ' Forest Preservation, ' 

 and I think the public will be surprised 

 to learn that it amounts to only $5,000. 

 It is an amount I will not say wholly 

 but very inadequate for the efficient ex- 

 ecution of the law." 



Nobody knows when an exceptionally 

 dangerous season may occur. It will 

 not do to w 7 ait until it has come. Every 

 spring the local fire wardens in about 

 six hundred towns must be furnished 

 with notices, instructions, and blanks 

 and kept on the alert, so that in case a 

 drouth should occur they will be active 

 in preventing dangerous fires. The eco- 

 nomical use of money is in the preven- 

 tion of fires. 



The province of Ontario expends 

 $30,000 and upwards a year in the pre- 



(285) 



