260 FOREST PROTECTION 



figures on the subject are those arranged by J. G. Peters u 

 and issued by the United States Department of Agriculture 

 for the calendar year 1915. The following table showing the 

 list of causes together with the percentage of the total num- 

 ber of fires originating from each cause is taken from this 

 publication. 



CAUSES OF FOREST FIRES IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE CALENDAR 



YEAR 



Percentage of 

 Causes the total num- 



ber of fires. 

 Lightning .......................... . ............. 14 



Railroads ............ ............................. 15 



Lumbering ....................................... 2 



Brush burning .................. .................. 12 



Campers ................................... ....... 12 



Incendiary ........................................ 7 



Miscellaneous ..................................... 10 



Unknown ......................................... 28 



Total ......................................... ~ 



2. The reduction of the fuel (inflammable material) upon 

 which forest fires feed. 



3. Quick detection of the forest fires which start. 



4. Prompt suppression of the forest fires discovered. 



To what extent can the silvicultural treatment of the forest 

 assist toward securing fire protection? Assistance can be ren- 

 dered in the reduction of the inflammable material available 

 for the fires. Close utilization of defective trees and the dis- 

 posal of slash as described in Chapter XIII, will remove an 

 important class of inflammable material. Avoidance of large 

 clearings on sites with a high fire hazard may be helpful. The 

 selection method of reproduction producing an unevenaged 

 stand with a constantly maintained cover, thereby protecting 

 the ground cover and litter from excessive drying out, tends 

 to reduce the inflammable material and is preferable from the 

 fire standpoint to other reproduction methods. 



