242 FOREST PROTECTION 



tific methods of fire protection, which began after the fire 

 season of 1910. The last statistics issued by the United 

 States Department of Agriculture^ were for 1915 and gave 

 the loss for that year in timber and improvements alone as 

 $7,000,000 with 40,000 fires and 6,000,000 acres burned over, 

 or I.I per cent of the total forest area of the country. 191 5, 

 however, was a favorable year with relatively few serious fires. 

 An excellent example of what has been accomplished since 

 fire protection was begun in the way of reducing the annual 

 loss is furnished by the Oregon State Board of Forestry.^ 

 Since 1907, records covering the state of Oregon have been 

 kept with the following results: 



A period without good protection 1908, 09, 10, average 



annual fire loss $663,935 



A period with well organized protective system, 1911-16, 



average annual fire loss 16,250 



To this was added during 1911-16 an average annual charge 

 $119,245 for costs of fire protection. 



The costs of protection plus the loss are far below the loss 

 alone before an efficient protection system was installed. 

 Many similar examples can be drawn from the records of 

 other organizations. 



The losses from fires (other than forest fires) during the 

 last 30 years rose from $102,940,000 * in 1888 to $242,302,000 

 in 191 7. 1906 with $450,751,000 has the highest loss for any 

 one year, while 1897 with $101,265,500 is the lowest year. 

 The annual average loss for the first five years of this period 

 was $120,534,000 as compared with $201,701,000 for the last 

 five-year period. This is an increase of 67 per cent. During 

 the same period great improvements in fire prevention and 

 control were introduced and the sums spent for the purpose 

 increased. 



* These figures are based on reports compiled by the Standard Pubhshing 

 Company, Boston, Mass., and furnished by J. H. Kelsey, statistician. 



