FOREST FIRES CONTROLLED 227 



than any other agency, followed closely to and outside of the forests. In addi- 



by railroads, campers and incendiaries, tion to this cost, services and supplies 



in the order given. In 1913, however, to the value of more than $17,000 were 



the fires caused by lightning outnum- contributed by cooperators for fire- 



bered the next nearest cause by more fighting on these areas, 



than three to one, but the order rail- In the middle of the fire season, that 



roads, campers and incendiaries re- is in July, the Service had high hopes of 



mained the same as in 1912. A con- small fire damage during 1913, and this 



siderable decrease in the proportion hope kept up until the middle of 



set by railroads and campers indicates, September, when the fire season on the 



according to forest officers, a growing national forests ordinarily is about at 



carefulness on the part of the general an end. At that time there was less 



public. damage than had ever been recorded, 



Last year, as in 1912, California led and only 2,260 fires as against 2,470 



all others in number of fires, this lead in 1912, with about 60,000 acres burned 



being natural because California has as compared with 230,000 in 1912 and 



such a long dry season. It was followed 780,000 in 1911. At the end of the 



by Arkansas, Arizona and Oregon, in month, however, the electric storms in 



the order named. Kansas, which had California and one or two outbreaks of 



only one fire in 1912, escaped without incendiarism changed the whole situa- 



any in 1913. North Dakota repeated tion. 



its record of 1912 and had no fires on its But even in the face of these diffi- 



one small forest. Not a single severe culties, the firefighting force, with its 



fire occurred during the year in District plans and experience from preceding 



4, which includes Utah, Nevada, and years, was able to cope with the situa- 



southern Idaho, and in which a large tion. In California, in particular, it 



proportion of the forests reported no was as if a military leader, represented 



fires at all. by the District Forester at San Francisco , 



was holding, with a comparatively small 



LOSSES ON PRIVATE LANDS. number j^ Qr /^ ^^ 



There was proportionately greater force, a line of defense extending 750 



loss on private lands within the forest miles in a north and south direction, 



boundaries than on the public lands. This force received, as if from an attack 



It is pointed out by the forest officers by the heavy artillery of an opposing 



that these lands cover approximately 1 1 army, the electric storms, generally 



per cent of the total area included unaccompanied by rain, which played 



within the forest boundaries, yet the havoc all along the Sierras and the 



area burned over on these private lands Coast Range. That the California 



was more than 25 per cent of all. The force was able to cope with the situation 



Forest Service expended more than was, according to Mr. Graves, an evi- 



$30,000 in protecting the private lands dence of the efficiency of the men and 



within the forests and lands adjacent the organization. 



The paper used by the government printing office each year requires approximately 125 million 

 pounds of rag pulp and 490 million pounds of wood pulp. 



F. A . Elliott, state forester of Oregon, says that cooperative fire patrol associations among lumber- 

 men for prevention of forest fires have proved their worth. 



Of 606 fires last year on the national forests of Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, more than 

 one-half were caused by lightning. Campers set about one-tenth, and railroads one-twentieth. 



Incense cedar is proving valuable for piling on the Pacific coast where marine borers are 

 particularly troublesome. 



