REPORT 

 Forestry Commissioner of Minnesota 



ON 



FOREST FIRES, 1908. 



Since the Hinckley forest fire of 1894, in which 418 

 persons perished, there have been several very dry 

 seasons in Minnesota, but none so dangerous as during 

 1908. April and May of this year were very dry in the 

 northwestern part of the state, and many forest fires 

 occurred in the counties of Cass, Crow Wing, Becker, 

 Beltrami, Hubbard, Morison, Ottertail, Todd and Wa- 

 dena. A more protracted period of dry and windy 

 weather, however, prevailed during August and Septem- 

 ber in the extensive territory of about 6,000,000 acres, 

 comprising the counties of Cook, Lake, St. Louis, Itasca, 

 Carlton and Pine. Practically all of the inhabitants of 

 the north shore of Lake Superior were occupied for 

 weeks in fighting forest fires. Their situation was one 

 of distress and terror. 



Damage by Forest Fires, 1908. 



From all reports received, the damage done by forest 

 fires in Minnesota in 1908, exclusive of the destruction 

 of the village of Chisholm, was $503,633. Including the 

 loss at Chisholm, which according to popular rumor was 

 $1,500,000, the total loss by forest fires was $2,003,633. 

 The number of acres, mostly cut-over land, burned over 

 or partly burned over, was 405,748. 



The cause of many of the fires was as follows: Burn- 

 ing brush, 15; burning meadow, 9; campers, 11; clearing 



