3 1914 



Division of Forestry 

 University of California 



FOREST FIRE REPORT 1909 



STRY. 



r. 



T. AGRICULTURE. 



FOREST FIRES CAUSE HEAVY LOSS. 



Reports received by the State Forester from the 

 firewardens show that during the past year 638 forest, 

 brush and grass fires occurred within the State. The 

 total area burned was 357,269 acres, divided approx- 

 imately as follows: Forest, 76,730 acres; brush, 

 191,510 acres; grass, 88,029 acres. The merchantable 

 timber destroyed amounted to over 40,000,000 feet, 

 worth fully $100,000. Other direct damage was done 

 to grain, grass, fencing and buildings to the amount 

 of half a million dollars. Added to this is the loss from 

 destruction of young growth too small to be merchant- 

 able at present, and also the loss from injury to water- 

 sheds by the removal of water-conserving brush and 

 timber which together bring the total to a million 

 dollars at least. One fire fighter was caught by the 

 flames and lost his life. Fires to the number of 101 

 reached a size of 1,000 acres or over before being con- 

 trolled, and a half dozen covered 20,000 acres or more. 

 These last were principally grass and brush fires, 

 which often spread so rapidly as to cover large areas 

 before they can be suppressed in spite of prompt 

 action on the part of the firewardens. Two hundred 

 and thirty-six fires were extinguished before they 

 covered ten acres. Considering the remote and inac- 

 cessible situations in which fires ordinarily occur it is 

 a matter of congratulation that more than one third 

 of the whole number should have been extinguished so 

 promptly. 



August Worst Month. 



The first fire was reported in February, and from 

 then on the number increased steadily to August, de^ * 

 creasing rapidly during the last three months. 



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