Canadian Forestry Journal, November. iqi6 



825 



Decreased Losses on B. C. Coast 



In British Columbia Coast Forests. 



1915 forest fire damag-e .$85,000 



1916 forest fire damage 10,505 



Merchantable timber killed in 1915 73 million feet 



Merchantable timber killed in 1916 1,135,000 feet 



Of these amounts, over one-half has been regarded as salvable. 



Victoria, B.C., October 30th, 1916. 



The fire season of 1916 has been an 

 extraordinary one on the British Col- 

 umbia coast. Until the last week of 

 July the weather was particularly fa- 

 vorable, so that during July no fires 

 occurred in the Vancouver and Island 

 Forest districts. The expenditure for 

 fire-fighting during May and June was 

 about normal. Commencing about 

 the end of July a. long drought set in, 

 which was not broken until October 

 25th, making about three months with 

 hardly any rain. In these months log- 

 ging debris became dangerously dry, 

 and the hazard was intensified by dy- 

 ing vegetation in the woods and on 

 cut-over areas. 



The close season ended on Septem- 

 ber 15th, and many settlers set out 

 clearing fires after the season, which 

 in a few cases got out of control, al- 

 though little actual damage was 

 caused. The opening of the hunting 

 season increased the human hazard 

 very considerably, numerous fires in 

 outlying districts being ascribed to 

 that source. 



At the end of the close season (Sept. 

 15) it was found inadvisable to dismiss 

 all the patrol force, as conditions at 

 that time were more hazardous than 

 they had been at any previous time 

 this year. Twelve or fifteen guards 

 were kept on duty until Sept. 30th, and 



a smaller number until rain came on 

 October 25th. 



In September and October the 

 spread of fires was checked by damp, 

 cold nights, and also partly by heavy 

 fogs. In green timber fires would not 

 run to any serious extent, and were 

 easily held in check by small fire-fight- 

 ing forces. Logging slash was fre- 

 quently set on fire by the unavoidable 

 hazards incident to logging, and con- 

 siderable areas were in several cases 

 cleaned up without any damage to 

 timber and equipment, although in 

 other cases cut logs, logging equipment 

 and camp buildings were destroyed. 



The fire-fighting expense in Vancou- 

 ver and Island districts was about $7,- 

 500, which is only half the amount 

 spent in 1915. 



The area burned over this year in 

 these two districts is 10,000 acres, com- 

 pared with 140,729 acres in 1915. In- 

 cluded in the area burned this season 

 is 300 acres merchantable timber and 

 8,648 acres logging slash, etc. 



The damage done last year amount- 

 ed to $85,000, so that this year's loss, 

 amounting to $10,505, compares very 

 favorably with the previous season. 



In all, 1.135,000 feet of merchantable 

 timber was killed on the British Col- 

 umbia coast in 1916, of which about 

 one-half will be logged without much 

 loss. Last year 73 million feet were 

 killed, of which about 43 million feet 

 was reckoned to be salvable, being ac- 

 cessible for immediate logging. 



