2l8 SLASH DISPOSAL 



snags or standing dead trees furnish quantities of inflamma- 

 ble material. Where no cuttings or extensive damage by fire, 

 insects or other agencies have occurred the slash provides the 

 larger portion of the potential fuel. The foHage and the small 

 branches are easily ignited and may bum rapidly but the 

 larger limbs and logs cannot be kindled so quickly or bum so 

 rapidly; although when once started they will create more 

 heat, burn for a longer time and in general, other conditions 

 being equal, make a severer fire than could occur on the same 

 area if without slash. With conifers which retain their foliage 

 for some time after felling, the slash may be easily ignited for 

 several months by simply touching a lighted match to the 

 foliage. This is particularly the case on heavily cut areas 

 where the cutting itself results in opening the stand to the 

 drying action of sun and wind thereby increasing the inflam- 

 mability of the fuel. 



Ordinarily the litter or ground cover provides that portion 

 of the available fuel which is most easily ignited. A fire is 

 apt to start in this material (even on areas covered with slash) 

 and then spread quickly to the slash itself. The larger mate- 

 rial included in the slash, when once set on fire, may make an 

 exceptionally serious conflagration, which may gain such im- 

 petus as to sweep through adjacent green timber. 



The prevalence of fires on cutover areas should not be attri- 

 buted wholly to the presence of slash Grasses and weeds may 

 spring up after heavy cuttings and provide fuel for the flames. 



Besides furnishing a large part of the inflammable material, 

 slash renders the fighting of fires difl&cult and dangerous. A 

 slash covered area cannot be traversed quickly and the fighters 

 may be caught if in the path of the fire. More labor is re- 

 quired to prepare lines for checking the fire and it may be 

 impossible to use methods of control which on areas free from 

 slash would be feasible. 



