1978 



Canadian Forestry Journal, December, 1918 



is becoming a very serious matter in 

 eastern North America, it is of inter- 

 est to know that so considerable a 

 supply may be obtained in British 

 Columbia. 



The estimate of the forest resources 

 of the province submitted in the 

 rei)ort of the Commission of Con- 

 servation is based on a much higher 

 percentage of detailed timber cruises 



than any forest report of a similar 

 nature heretofore issued. It is be- 

 lieved, therefore, that the informa- 

 tion will be valuable, not only to the 

 governments, which control the for- 

 est policy in the province, but also 

 to timber owners and ftnancial inter- 

 ests, on whom the development of 

 industry so largely depends. 



The Fire Fiend's Work on Pacific Coast 



Statistics complied by the British 

 Columbia Forest Branch of the De- 

 partment of Lands and author- 

 ized for publication recently, go to 

 show that the 1918 Forest Fire 

 season was noteworthy in -the latter 

 part of June and the first week in 

 July for the greater fire risk since 1910. 

 What looked as if it would be a 

 season of moderate risk was broken 

 by three weeks of extremely hot and 

 dry weather, and the major portion 

 of the total damage resulting from 

 forest fires occurred during this 

 danger period. The- number of fires 

 which were fought by the Depart 

 ment at an expense number approx- 

 imately 200 for the Province, the 

 total number of fires being 900, 



Co-operation of Public. 



Efficacy of the fight car patrol ser- 

 vice, inaugurated by the Department 

 last year and expended this season, 

 is emphasized by the number of 

 "no-cost" as against "cost" fires. 

 Added to this, the report acknowledg- 

 ed liberal co-operation on the part of 

 the general public on a far greater 

 scale than hitherto. Promptitude in 

 reporting incipient bush fires result- 

 ed in the saving of a considerable 

 expense to the Department. 



Total Losses- 

 Total fire loss to the Forest Branch 

 IS given as $34,726; total area burned 

 over, 70,559 acres; total damage done 

 (timber, stock range, logs, equipment, 

 buildings, etc.), $143,153. 



Merchantable timber: area acres 



killed, 4,175; thousand board feet 

 killed, 16,752; thousand board feet 

 salvable, 9,1003^^; net stumpage loss, 

 $10,060. 



Other forms of property: forest 

 products cut, $43,080; buildings, $4,- 

 950: logging and railwav equipment, 

 $75,000; miscellaneous," $300. 



Preparing for Next Year. 



Considerable expenditure was made 

 during the fall on slash burning, 

 notably in the Vancouver, Vernon 

 and Cranbrook Fire Districts. Sev- 

 eral thousand acres were burned over, 

 which will materially lessen the fire 

 hazard for 1919. During the year 

 140 miles of fire line were constructed; 

 two new telephone lines installed for 

 forest protection purposes and several 

 new trails were cut with the same 

 object, all of which are intended to 

 increase the efficiency in handling 

 forest fires. 



Forest rangers and patrolmen this 

 season numbered 160, as against 

 183 for 1917. This smaller force had, 

 however, an increased number of 

 light cars allotted, and the general 

 result was a greater mileage covered 

 in less time; the vital factor in dealing 

 with forest fires. 



+._. 



,, „ ,, III. „.t. 



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