KDITORIAL 627 



Other items of loss which cannot be terial hindrance t. business i-nu-rpriso 



estimated in any manner arc those of and industrial development. 



loss of soil fertility where the humus -j -j :- 



and top soil is burned and calcined to a Fire Losses of 1907 



depth of from a few inches to two or RE fina , statistics of firc loss for 



three feet, and where all sod nutriment } thc year fof national for , , 



is absolutely destroyed ; damage to river hayi & total area of about , - OiOOO<ooo 



courses and to farming land adjacent acres show that ]ast year was an un _ 



to burned-over forests, such loss arising usua n y favorable one so far as con- 



from floods and droughts which are ccrm , ( j f orest fi res . Heavy rains in all 



caused by the destruction of forest parts o f t h e COU ntry kept down the 



cover and which annually cost the Na- fi rcs anf i mac i e conditions such as to be 



tion many millions of dollars; and the very unfavorable for the starting of any 



constant depreciation in forest wealth material conflagration. Following is a 



and land values which have destroyed statement compiled by Mr. E. A. /ieg- 



and are destroying the prosperity of ler, of the Forest Service, covering the 



many sections, and which form a ma- fires of 1907. 



STATEMENT OF FIRE LOSSES FOR 1907 

 Showing Lost of Fire -fighting on National Forests 



1. Total area burned over ......................... 212, WiO 1 acres or .14 per cent. of 150 million acres reportlnp 



2. Timbered area burned over .......................... ........ 29, 3W acres 



3. Amount of timber destroyed .......................................................... 31.026.000 board feet 



(or less than". 007 per cent, of the 450 billion B.M. estimated stand on this area) 



4. Value of timber destroyed ............................................. - $31,590 



.">. Cost of fire fighting (exclusive of forest officers' salaries): 



Labor ............................................................. $4.L 1 .v.i 



Supplies .................... ................ 718 



Total 4.077 



r>. Total number of fires reported: 



Class A 



Class B 



Class C 1*1 



Unclassified 40 



Total ... 1 858 



7. Cause of fires: 



Number 



Campers 34'", 



Railroad locomotives 878 



Lightning 17f. 



Donki-y engines ''" 



Clearing land 34 



Incrncliary 10 



Hnnt-Ts 9 



H.T.|. -is f. 



Miscellaneous . . 60 



I'nknown or not r('|.ri.'.l 



1 



'Large area tmrnod OVPT .IMP to im-liullng three large rns Hr.'s ..n 



1'iMiinl River (Xobr.) National For.- An-a burned, meres. 



linnlen City iKiiti--. i N.-itlonM For.-; do. . 



Wli-hlta (Okln.i Niitinnnl F..r.--.f .1.. 



Total 108.440 



- Ineludrs :irea of II..MHI nn.s In riilri>-:ilni:i Nntl<.n:il For.'<t. \ri7..n:i r.-portfil ns tlmh>rlan(l. but only 

 UK) board feet per acre wer>' .! --1 myed. 



Note. Ooinparntlvely few imports i-nt!iinr<l tin- month of ..... -urrcnrr. honce dlstrltnitlon statement la 

 omitted. 



