58 FOREST FIRES IN NORTH CAROLINA 



From the foregoing tables it is seen that the number of fires reported 

 is practically the same as for the two previous years, and most of the 

 other figures correspond fairly closely, showing that the annual damage 

 from forest fires is not decreasing at any appreciable rate. The most 

 notable thing about these figures is the reduction in the amount of land 

 burned over by each fire, and, consequently, the large total reduction in 

 area burned over, this being less than one-third of what was burned in 

 1910. 



The total amount of damage done by the fires that were reported is 

 estimated at $428,000, which is less than the damage for 1910, but con- 

 siderably more than that given for 1909. The average damage per acre 

 has largely increased, being $2.80 for the whole State. One reason for 

 this large increase is that the figures for 1911 include estimates of 

 damage done to young growth, which were not included in the earlier 

 figures. 



One remarkable thing about these figures is the comparative uni- 

 formity of the reports coming from the different regions of the State, 

 showing that they are not the result of exaggerated ideas of a few cor- 

 respondents, but represent the opinion of the average citizen of North 

 Carolina. 



Though some sections of the State were singularly free from fires 

 during the past year, others suffered extreme injury. This is especially 

 true of some of the eastern counties, several of which have unfortunately 

 failed to report. The accounts of fires, appearing in the daily papers 

 last summer, which occurred in Carteret, Dare, Pasquotank, Perquim- 

 ans, Tyrrell and other counties, none of which are reported here, makes 

 one realize that the figures given are much below the actual amount, 

 and convinces one that strong measures should be taken at once to 

 reduce this enormous annual loss. 



