LESSONS AND RESULTS OF LAST YEAR'S 

 PROTECTION EFFORTS. 



Forest Supervisor W. A. Huestis. 



There was a nar':ed improvement in the fire record 

 of the Trinity for the season of 1911. This was due largely, 

 no doubt, to a more intensive system of organized fire pro- 

 tection. 



A comparison of our annual fire reports for 1910 

 and 1^11 shows that we had on the Trinity in 1910, 51 fires, 

 coating 8 86 3; burning over 23,192 acres and destroying 

 $27,874 worth of timber. This year there ware 68 fires 

 costing 848, burning over 1272 acres and destroying 

 worth of timber. 



Our average fire in 1910 burned over 45.47 acres and 

 in 1911, 18.7 acres- By omitting one large fire that burned 

 over 960 acres., our average fire for 1911 would have been 

 4.65 acres. Any one of our small fires might have been as 

 serious as this large one if they had not been promptly 

 handled. This largest fire occurred at a place where con- 

 siderable difficulty was experienced in getting to it and the 

 delay involved placed it beyond control for the time being. 

 One of the chief difficulties to be met with at present, ie 

 to nake a fire organization reach over the remote and inaccessi- 

 ble places. An effective and safe fire plan means that fires 

 must be discovered at once and promptly extinguished. 



It is doubtful to my mind if an average of 5 acres 

 for each fire, represents anything like safety on a Forest 

 of even ordinary fire risk- Under some conditions a fire that 

 reaches the size of 5 acres nay become unmanageable. An 

 average of one acre per fire with the occurrence of fires 

 practically reduced to those from natural causes, is, I 

 believe, eventually attainable on the Trinity. 



Last season an effort was made to dovetail every- 

 thing that could be of use into our fire plan. Circulars 

 were Gotten out to all users of the Forest, inviting special 

 attention to the fire clauses in their permits, and asking 

 that care be exercised in the uae of fire. Personal letters 

 were written to those persons of influence who were in a 

 position to aid. Forest officers took every occasion to 

 catttion settlers and transients against carelessness with 

 fire and the danger of burning up our ^7Oods. 



Realizing that to obtain anything like satisfactory 

 results the largest number of ?ren possible should be placed 

 in the field during the period of the greatest fire danger, 

 our General Expense fund was stretched as far as possible, 

 for salaries. Twenty-one additional tenporary men were em- 

 ployed July I, and on August 1, our temporary field force 



11. 



