232 PROTECTION OF WOODLANDS. 



CHAPTER IV. 



PROTECTION AGAINST FOREST FIRES. 



116. Damage done ly Fire ; Different Kinds of Forest Fires. 



Forest fires are unfortunately by no means of uncommon 

 occurrence, but constitute in many localities an almost annually 

 recurring danger, threatening to injure the woodland growth to a 

 very considerable degree. With the exception of the comparatively 

 few cases caused by lightning, the causes of forest fires are 

 either directly or indirectly to be found in human action, and not 

 infrequently have their origin whilst other forest offences are 

 being committed. From this point of view it might have seemed 

 advisable to treat of them under paragraph 114, but the importance 

 of the whole special subject seemed to make it worthy of 

 treatment per se under a separate heading. 



The damage, which may be caused to woodlands by fires, 

 consists chiefly and immediately in the destruction or premature 

 felling of timber crops often covering extensive areas, especially of 

 young seedling growth and plantations ; whilst among the indirect 

 consequences of such disturbances of the growing-stock must also 

 be reckoned the loss in the productive capacity of the soil, in 

 being exposed to the exhausting action of sun and wind and of 

 rank growth of weeds and of coarse grasses, the commencement 

 of sand-drifts on poor sandy soils, the sudden increase in the 

 number and the damaging power of many injurious kinds of 

 insect enemies, which find only too favourable breeding-places in 

 the foliage, stems, stools and roots of trees and poles or younger 

 growth that have been brought to a sickly condition of growth in 

 consequence of being scorched by fire, and finally the greater 

 trouble and expense which the re-wooding of such tracts entails. 



Forest fires may occur in many different forms, but they are 

 usually distinguishable either as ground-fires passing over the 

 surface of the soil and feeding on the dead foliage and scattered 



