76 Fourth Annual Keport of the 



Preventive Measures 



The fact that ninety-four of the fires of the year were due to 

 avoidable carelessness indicates the need of education. The De- 

 partment has continued publishing fire notices and posting them 

 at conspicuous places in the forest. The design of such posters 

 was varied with each issue, the belief being that new ideas attract 

 attention, and, therefore, make the posters more effective. 



A series of fire warnings, printed on red paper, were inserted 

 in the " Game Law " booklet, and also in the synopsis of the law. 

 Those pamphlets go to each of the two hundred thousand pur- 

 chasers of hunting licenses. The warning was an attempt to 

 appeal to the sportsmen to prevent fires. Their attention was 

 called to the fires they caused and the resulting damage, and they 

 were reminded that continued fires reduce the supply of fish 

 and game. 



Telephone and railroad companies continued their co-operation 

 by publishing fire warnings in their advertising literature and 

 time table folders. The subject-matter is changed each year 

 and thus a wider field is covered, 



It is a conservative estimate to say that two million persons 

 were reached by those fire warnings through one or another of 

 the several agencies. Inquiries are received every day at this 

 office asking for information about forest fires. In order to answer 

 such communications Bulletin ISTo. 10, " Forest Fires," was issued 

 during the year and has admirably filled, the need. These requests 

 indicate a growing popular appreciation of the importance of the 

 problem. 



This educational work is a fire preventive measure aimed at 

 all agencies responsible for fires. The method is varied for the 

 purpose of making an appeal to the many interests of the people 

 whom it is necessary to reach. In order to plan such work it is 

 necessary to study the causes of fires. The following table shows 

 the total number of reported fires, which occurred in the " fire 

 towns" of the Adirondacks and Catskills, classified by causes: 



