Forest Preservation 67 



The 'protection of the reserve from fire is the most 

 difficult work of the forest ranger. Fireguards are made 

 through or around the reserve, where they will stop or 

 prevent fires. Trails are cut through the forest to make 

 travel from one part to another less difficult, and lookout 

 stations are built in convenient places. These stations 

 are connected by telephone with the headquarters of the 

 reserve. The ranger must patrol his district regularly, 

 spending the nights in cabins built for the purpose, usually 

 by his own hands. Each cabin contains, besides the 

 necessary camp equipment, tools for fighting fire. The 

 ranger patrols on foot, by canoe or on a railway motor 

 cycle, just as circumstances permit. If, from a lookout 

 station, he sees smoke in any part of the reserve, he can 

 summon help by telephone, and in that way reach and 

 extinguish the fire before it has done much harm. Small 

 gasoline engines with considerable length of hose, that 

 may be carried from place to place, are being added to the 

 fire-fighting equipment and add greatly to its usefulness. 



Not an unimportant part of the ranger's work in pre- 

 vention of fires is educational. The greater number of 

 fires are caused by the carelessness of settlers or travellers. 

 This is due more to ignorance of the harm that may follow 

 and the means of preventing it, than to intention. By 

 the posting of bulletins and other means, people are in- 

 structed what measures to take to prevent fires and warned 

 of the punishment for negligence. 



All land under Dominion control and not included in the 

 forest reserves is divided into fire-ranging districts. Most 



