17 



severe fires occurred in 1702, 1708, 1720, 1726, 1735, 

 1746, 1750, 1757. 1767, 1776, 1795, lf04, 1814, 1822, 

 1829. 1837, 1842, 1851, 1856, 1865, 1871, 1879, 1886, 

 1889, 1899. or averaging one fire every eight years. 



The Light Burning Controversy 



It was in 191O that the subject of Light Burning 

 as a means of forest fire protection, was brought to 

 the attention of the public of Calif d'rnia. Mr. T. B. 

 Walker of the Red River Lumber Company - one of the 

 largest individual forest land holders within the 

 state - advocated the use of light, controlled sur- 

 face fires thru the timber lands at a season of the 

 year when there would be little danger of them becom- 

 ing uncont rouble. This practice, according to Mr. 

 Walker, would suffice to remove all inflamnable debris 

 from the ground, and hence, would eliminate all pos- 

 sibility of a severe fire occurring for a number of 

 yea-rs. And, by burning over the timber lands period- 

 ically in this manner, the forest crop would be insur- 

 ed until the time came when it could be harvested. 



A number of other private holders of large tracts 

 of timber immediately took up this side of the issue. 

 Consequently, there was soon a sharp division of opin- 

 ion as to how the forests could best be protected from 

 fire. Many believed like the lumbermen, that the only 

 method that would protect our forests from devastating 



