Forest Fires in British Columbia. 83 



reports a marked improvement in public sentiment in recent 

 years, regarding the prevention of fires and thinks that the best 

 preventive measure is a full investigation of the cause of every 

 fire reported and the prosecution of the offenders when detected. 



In the Upper Fraser country there were few fires, and none 

 of them very destructive. The summer was unusually dry and 

 warm in the Barkerville District, though almost continuous 

 rains prevailed in the Clinton District. In the lower part of the 

 Barkerville District, along the Fraser River, a fire started in July 

 and ran a few miles through a sparsely wooded country, but was 

 extinguished by the settlers before much damage had been done. 

 About the same time a fire started in the Quesnel Section of the 

 same district, a short distance from the town of Quesnel Forks, 

 but was quickly got under control by the prompt action of the 

 government agent at that place who engaged a number of men to 

 fight the fire, which was put out with but trifling loss. About 

 Lillooet there were three or four bush fires which covered an area 

 of but a few acres. The rainfall was heavy and frequent. 



Although the early part of the summer was one of the hottest 

 and driest on record in the Nicola District, the destruction of 

 forest by fire was very small. The agent reports that recent 

 years show that increased care is being taken to extinguish fires. 



The only fire near Port Simpson was one in the neighbor- 

 hood of Lome Creek, which was started by lightning. The area 

 burned consisted mainly of small spruce, birch and poplar, of 

 little or no commercial value. 



All the government agents were asked to state the causes 

 of fires, so far as known, and to suggest remedies. Their replies 

 are naturally somewhat similar and only a few of them have been 

 quoted in the preceding paragraphs. The agent at Nicola makes 

 a suggestion that seems well worth acting upon. It is that a 

 special effort should be made to interest the Indians in forest 

 preservation. A circular addressed to all the chiefs could not 

 fail to cause the matter to be discussed in their councils and if in 

 the different sections one reliable Indian, at least, were appointed 

 with instructions to act promptly when a fire started and even 

 given some authority to take preventive action much loss might 

 be avoided. Ignorance and carelessness on the part of the Indians 

 doubtless cause many fires, but it should not be very difficult to 

 teach him to be more careful. 



