Conservation Commission S9 



Number of Forest Fires by Months During 1913 



MONTHS 



Region 



Total 



Adirondacks 



Catskills 





3 



7 

 27 



132 

 73 

 78 



176 

 94 

 27 



3 



23 



11 



7 



15 



6 



6 



3 





10 





50 





143 





80 



July 



93 





182 



September 



100 



27 













Total 



617 



71 



688 



The season was much drier in the Adirondacks than in the 

 Catskills, and the fires in the latter form only 10 per cent, of 

 the total number and cover only 8 per cent, of the total area 

 burned. The month of April was the most productive of fires in 

 the Catskills, while May and August saw the greatest number in 

 the Adirondacks. The total number reported was 688. This is 

 83 fires more than were reported in 1908 under similar drought 

 conditions. In 1908, however, no fires which burned over less 

 than an acre were reported. On that basis, the comparison was 

 528 in 1913 as against 605 in 1908. The acccompanying table 

 gives complete statistics as to the number of fires, acreage burned, 

 resulting damage and expense to extinguish. These statistics are 

 classified both by counties in which the fires occurred and by 

 causes. Reference has already been made and statistics given, 

 comparing the result of the past year with that of 1908. When 

 the conditions of drought are taken into account, the extent of 

 those fires and the consequent damage indicate great improve- 

 ment in forest fire protection and marked efficiency of the force 

 charged with this duty. The success of the system is fully dem- 

 onstrated and the only weakness developed is that more mountain 

 stations should be established. During the year only seven-tentha 

 of 1 per cent of the area under protection was burned, although 

 the average area guarded by each ranger was over 100,000 acres. 

 The entire cost of protection, including the expense of extinguish- 



