FOREST FIRES IN NORTH CAROLINA DURING 19II 



By J. S. Holmes, Fokester. 



INTRODUCTION 



During the past three years the State Geological and Economic Sur- 

 vey Las collected statistics on the extent of the damage done by forest 

 fires in North Carolina. These figures for 1909, collected in cooperation 

 with the United States Forest Service, together with a short study of 

 the various kinds of injury done by fire, an inquiry into the common 

 causes of fires and a few suggestions as to the best methods of prevent- 

 ing and extinguishing forest fires were published by the Survey as 

 Economic Paper No. 19. The statistics for 1910 which were collected 

 by the Survey alone, were published as Economic Paper 22, "Forest 

 Fires and Their Prevention." This publication also contains a review 

 of some of the educational and legislative measures which are calculated 

 to help reduce the fire risk, the State law on the subject of forest fires 

 which is now operative, as well as three proposed laws. A limited num- 

 ber of both bulletins are still available for distribution. 



The figures on forest fires for 1911 have been gathered in the same 

 way as in previous years, i. e., from voluntary correspondents. Many 

 of the earlier correspondents have dropped out, while others have been 

 added to the list. The valuable assistance rendered by the North Caro- 

 lina Forestry Association, which furnished complete lists of correspond- 

 ents for about one-fourth of the counties of the State, has added consid- 

 erably to the accuracy of the figures, though until such lists can be 

 obtained for every county no attempt at completeness can be claimed 

 for these statistics. 



The object in collecting and publishing these figures is not to give 

 exact information on the subject, as under present conditions that is 

 impossible, but to draw the attention of the general public to the extent 

 of the damage done by forest fires, with the hope of gradually bringing 

 about better conditions. 



THE WEATHER 



As the weather is one of the chief factors in the fire risk, a glance at 

 weather conditions during 1911 is here given. 



The United States Weather Bureau thus summarizes conditions for 

 the past year : 



"The year was an exceptional one in temperature and precipitation. A 

 number of records were broken. The average annual precipitation, 42.68 



