With all our study and planning, we are at aboxit the 

 same place every year, and it soema that In order to pro- 

 gress we have got to take a new line of action. Ue know 

 that there are only two causes for fires , one human and 

 the oilier lightning. Lightning la not a serious factor 

 and io taken oare of easir.y by our organization. 



Human elements are constantl/ changing, but outside 

 of the incendiary and ar unusual sircunctance wliiah ooraes 

 under e.n ener3noy and i3 handle d as such, our ojrganiza- 

 ticn 80*3 TC them without difficulty. 



Then with but this one serious factor, ffhy is it that 

 we cannot make noticeable progress ? The fonnfttion of fire 

 associations has solved the incendiary situation in some 

 localities and has been a failure in others, depending on 

 the reception of the principal of regulate? burnings by 

 the individuals in each community, ft is an elusive prob- 

 lem because incendiarism is a condition of nind which us- 

 ually is not d:acovered until after Icsses occur, and then 

 only in an indefinite sort of way by the process of elimin- 

 ation. "luiet will reign in a district one year , and the 

 nerrfc It will be seething with incendiarism. V/hen the caus- 

 es are sifte " down, it will always be found that our methods 

 of administration or personal enmity is at the seat of the 

 trouble. Some of these causes are: 



1. Desire for levenge on a neijhbor or 



2. Desire to produce forage 



3. Desire to Improve hunting. 



4. All-around cussedness. 



There is a possible way to combat each phase, and to be 

 successful it is seldom wise to control them by forxie alone. 

 I believe it is possible to foresee some of these 6utbrealcs 

 by knowing the people well enough to know what is troubling 

 them and making it a point to correct the trouble before it 

 reaches the stage where it results in tiober losses. You 

 rangers can, by being alert to what Is said and thought in 

 your districts, often head off an outbreak of this year or 

 the ne^t. This is real prevention, and v/hlle it is not so 

 spectacular as tracking him with hounds and catching hire 

 with a lighted match in his hand, it is far more worth- 

 while . 



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