PROTECTION 121 



sibility, their dry climate, and to other unfavorable 

 conditions. There are probably few forest regions 

 in the world where the danger of fire is greater than 

 on the National Forests. The great size of the 

 individual Forests, as compared with the size of the 

 available patrolling force, the difficulty of reaching 

 remote areas across miles of wilderness, the dry 

 air and light rainfall in most parts of the western 

 United States, the prevalence of lightning storms 

 in the mountains, the sparseness of the population, 

 and the constant use of fire in the industries and 

 the daily life of the people, all combine to make the 

 hazard exceptional. 



Importance of Fire Protection. Forest fires 

 when uncontrolled mean the loss of human lives, 

 the destruction of homes, live stock, forage, timber 

 and watershed cover. Besides the direct damage 

 to the National Forest resources it defeats all at- 

 tempts to practice forestry ; it nullifies all efforts of 

 forest management, such as regulation of cutting 

 to insure a second crop of timber, the planting of 

 denuded areas, and the restriction of grazing to 

 assist reproduction. Fire destroys the very im- 

 provements which are constructed annually at 

 great expense. In other words, protection from 



