122 OUR NATIONAL FORESTS 



fire is the first and most important problem on the 

 National Forests without which no operation or 

 transaction, however small, can be undertaken. 



If the problem of fire protection is the most im- 

 portant task confronting a Forest officer on the Na- 

 tional Forests, then certainly fire prevention is next 

 in importance. Obviously it is easier to prevent 

 fires than to fight them. All large conflagrations 

 have their origin in small fires which if they could 

 be reached in time could probably be put out 

 by one man. But in regions remote from water 

 and supplies fires may start and reach vast propor- 

 tions before a party of fire fighters can get to the 

 scene, no matter how promptly the start is made. 

 By far the best plan, therefore, is to prevent fires 

 rather than to depend upon fighting them after 

 they get started. To this end the Forest Service 

 has given the most earnest consideration. During 

 the dangerous season the main attention of Forest 

 Supervisors and Forest Rangers is devoted to pre- 

 venting fire. Extra men are employed, the For- 

 ests are systematically patrolled, and a careful 

 lookout is maintained from high points. Roads and 

 trails are so built that every part of the Forests 

 may be quickly reached with pack animals. Tools 



