30 FOREST FIRES IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



as to the number of fires, the area burnt over, the damage done, and the 

 cost to the State in preventing and extinguishing fires. In districts 

 where wardens are appointed these reports will supersede the voluntary 

 reports now sent in in regard to forest fires. 



Patrol. 



Patrol is an important duty of the forest Avarden. Patrol means pre- 

 vention, for usually the officer Avho patrols prevents as many fires as he 

 extinguishes. By traversing the forests under his charge during ex- 

 cessively dry weather, the patrolman is often not only able to detect 

 and extinguish fires before they get beyond control, but the likelihood 

 of his presence at any place will in all probability deter many who 

 might otherwise either carelessly, negligently, or intentionally start fires. 

 Patrol is such an important part of modern forest fire prevention that 

 the Federal Government stipulates that the money expended by it in 

 cooperative fire protection with the various States must be spent to a 

 large extent in the employment of patrolmen and lookouts. 



Patrol is now practiced wherever effective fire protection is attempted. 

 The new State law requires the forest wardens to patrol during dry and 

 dangerous seasons, and, in addition, gives the State Forester full power 

 to establish and direct such patrol whenever in his judgment this is 

 advisable or necessary. By referring to Table 1 it will be seen the "dry 

 and dangerous seasons" are most likely to occur in spring and fall, and 

 it is in these two seasons that most of the patrol work would be carried 

 on. However, local conditions or exceptional seasons might make it 

 necessary to establish patrols at any time of the year. 



By virtue of a„ cooperative agreement recently (June 9, 1915) entered 

 into between the State Geological Board and the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, a number of patrols will be established in the moun- 

 tainous parts of the State during the fall fire season of 1915, and each 

 fire season thereafter, as long as the arrangement continues. These men 

 Avill be State Forest Wardens. They will work under the direction of 

 the State Forester, but will be paid by the United States Government. 

 Honest, energetic, intelligent men are required for this work; men who 

 are familiar with the region which they will have to patrol, who have 

 done woods work and have had experience in fighting fire. 



The Power of Arrest. 



ISTo law can be effective unless it is enforced. The great weakness of 

 the old law against burning the woods was that there was no special 

 system of enforcement. The present law provides that system, and it 

 must be made as effective as possible. 



