l : orest Types and their Relations to Burns 23 



story in the scattering stunted stand of Western Yellow Pine. 

 But the greater part of this mixture may be considered conifer- 

 ous woodland and is treated as such. 



Because of the more favorable moisture conditions in the 

 Western Yellow Pine stands, there is even a ranker growth of 

 forage grasses than in the woodland type, thus increasing the 

 probability of destructive fires. These conditions are especially 

 true in the "mesa" country where most of the merchantable 

 Western Yellow Pine occurs. 



In most mature stands of timber, reproduction is not very 

 dense and there is very little litter. The opposite is true when 

 reproduction is good. Here the forest floor may be covered with 

 a thick layer of leaf litter, forming ideal conditions for a fire. 

 This combined with the dense stand of timber makes fire in this 

 type destructive to reproduction although it. may not affect mat- 

 ure trees. However, the limited amount of underbrush over 

 the greater part of this type, and the fire resistance of the species 

 itself, seldom makes fires destructive. 



Lightning is the principal cause of fires in this type, although 

 a few may be traced to the carelessness of campers and cowmen. 

 Occasionally, dead trees and spike tops may be found which 

 because of their dry and "pitchy" nature, may easily be set 

 afire by lightning. From these trees, the fire spreads rapidly 

 if there is a heavy wind or much surrounding grass. 



Where there is little or no grazing and there is a rank 

 growth of grass with a large amount of dry material in each 

 tuft, there is a serious menace from fire. If restricted grazing 

 is permitted, as allowed by the Forest Service, fire damage may be 

 largely decreased but not eliminated. Over-grazing would most 

 materially eliminate surface fires but would affect site and repro- 

 duction so seriously that it is rarely allowed. 



The fighting of fire in this type should be comparatively 

 simple, since there are few fallen logs and there is very little 

 underbrush with which to contend. The nature of the topography 

 and the open condition of the stand make it possible to reach a 

 fire in any portion of this type very easily. The most effective 

 method of fighting the fire would be with rakes and shovels. 

 With this a lane could be made and the spread of fire through 

 the grass effectually stopped. Since grass is the principal facto** 

 in spreading fire in this type, such a lane would be a decided 

 check. A plowed furrow, where the nature of the surface soil 

 makes such a thing possible, is also effective. There is a tendency 

 toward better roads in this type making excellent points from 

 which to fight fire. 



