FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 345 



No. IV. 



Forest Fires. 



' I k HE greatest source of danger which imperils the existence of American forests 

 * arises from the widespread sweeping fires that hitherto have annually destroyed 

 immense areas of valuable standing timber. In the census year of 1880, carefully 

 gathered statistics showed that the combined areas of woodlands which were burned 

 over in the United States amounted to 10,274,089 acres, and that the value of the 

 property thus destroyed was $25,462,220. These figures were not based on hasty or 

 careless estimates, but on information furnished in reply to circulars sent to every town 

 in the United States, the statistics thus obtained being tabulated by towns, counties 

 and States. From the careful study of the subject there is reason to believe that 

 these figures do not exaggerate the loss. In addition, there was also the immense 

 amount of damage inflicted on the Canadian forests from the same cause, the fires in 

 those woods being proportionately destructive. Persons competent to judge have 

 estimated that in Canada more pine timber has been destroyed by fire than has been 

 cut by the lumbermen. 



Nor was this census year of 1880 marked by any unusual prevalence of this 

 scourge. The great forest fires which have become historic events occurred in 

 other years. 



In 1825 a memorable fire spread over a large part of New Brunswick and a part 

 of Maine. It occurred in the first week of October, after a prolonged period of heat 

 and drought. The burned territory was about one hundred miles long and-sixty miles 

 wide, including over 3,800,000 acres, an area as large as the State of Connecticut. 

 There were 160 persons who were burned to death or drowned in streams, whither 

 they had fled to escape the flames. The loss of standing timber was estimated at 

 ,£500,000, and the loss in buildings, crops and personal property was officially 

 appraised at .£227,713. 



The great fire in Wisconsin occurred in October, 1871. The burned territory, 

 which was in the vicinity of Green Bay, included over 250,000 acres. Several villages 

 were destroyed. One of them, Peshtigo, contained over 2,000 inhabitants, one-third 

 of whom perished in the flames or were suffocated by smoke. Over one thousand 

 people lost their lives, while thousands of others were left in destitution and mourn- 

 ing. The loss of timber and property exceeded $30,000,000 in value. 



The great Michigan fire occurred in 1881, in the month of September. The most 

 of the burned district was on the peninsula situated between Lake Huron and Saginaw 

 Bay, including a tract of timber land partially cleared and settled, about sixty miles 



