35 



Indicated by what might h^ve happened with increased 

 human activity causing more fires. Costs have been 

 commensurate with results attained and value protected, 

 if regarded merely as insurance, and a timber rotation 

 has been made possible. 



Possibilities 



"Fort|[ two a.nd three tenths percent of fires are 

 caused by lightning and unknown causes. Of the 17*^'^ 

 from unknown causes, few were due to lightning. Light- 

 ning fires are seldom classes as unknown, because the 

 storm history and scarred trees nearly always furnish 

 sufficient evidence. If we limit inpreventable fires 

 to those caused by lightning and other natural agencies, 

 (latter amounts to practically nothing) then 35-4-O^e 

 of the fires will be absolutely anpre vent all e. In ad- 

 dition, there will always be a number of fires due to 

 hums.n carelessness and incendiarism and accidents. 



"Lightning fires seldom result in great damage. 

 They ocfiur in bunches, are less accessible and fre- 

 quently occur at high elevations in poorer timber and 



under weather conditions which result in average light- 



the 

 ning fires being smaller than average from all other 



causes - 88.5 acres as compared with 144.4 acres. With 



improved detection and means of travel, damage from 



lightning fires can toe reduced tea relatively small 



value. 



