41 



CHAPTER \T. 



FOREST FIRES. 



Fire is more dreaded than any other destroying agent by those 

 Interested in forests. Fire is more dreaded in fact than all other forest 

 destroying agencies put together, though in California forest fires are 

 regarded differently by different classes. It is well for the forester to 

 have some knowledge on this subject. 



WHO OPPOSE FOREST FIRES. 



The following enumeration, has exceptions but may in general 

 be deemed fairly accurate. The student, philosopher and statesman 

 are all opposed to forest fires. All water companies, all irrigators and 

 all water power companies are opposed to forest flres; all mountain 

 resort owners are opposed to forest fires; all residents and land owners 

 along rivers subject to overflow or used in navigation or on dry washes 

 and torrent beds are opposed to forest flres. Railroad owners are op- 

 posed to forest flres, but are not active friends of the forest. News- 

 paper men have recently enlisted as active friends of the forest and are 

 consequently hostile to forest fires. The farmer is opposed to forest 

 flres, but without much enthusiasm. The general body of the people 

 is hostile to forest flres and favorable to forest preservation; usually 

 more for sentimental and aesthetic reasons than for economic ones. 

 Lumber men are as a rule opposed to forest fires.* Miners are hostile 



*Location and climate modify their interest in respect to flres. In the 

 redwood district, for instance, flre set after the trees selected are felled 

 is a part of the lumbering process. The climate is there cool and damp, 

 the green redwood timber will not burn and the undergrowtn that will 

 burn is dense. In that district, therefore, the danger to merchantable 

 t'mber cut or uncut is slight and the clearing by flre of the under- 

 growth facilitates the mill man's work. The redwood belt condition 

 is exceptional. Owing to the practice of firing as a part of lumbering 



