40 HANDBOOK FOR CAMPERS. 



to produce severe fire conditions. Even after storms the atmos- 

 phere soon becomes dry, and the summer showers therefore do 

 little toward making the forests less inflammable. The matter 

 of camping is mentioned because most fires are of human origin. 

 The seasoned camper is by no means a source of fire danger ; he 

 is, rather, a safety factor, since he knows that precautions must 

 be taken and helps to instruct those who are less experienced. 

 But until a camper has had at least a season's experience in 

 the Forests, he is apt to take unwarranted chances w^ith camp 

 fires, matches, burning tobacco, etc. 



The fire organization on the National Forests includes meas- 

 ures designed to prevent, detect, and suppress fires. Absolute 

 prevention is, of course, impossible; lightning causes a certain 

 percentage of fires each year, and a few fires start in other 

 ways that may be fairly called unpreventabie. Among these are 

 the breaking of transmission lines, the accidental burning of 

 houses in the Forests, etc. There is also a theory very popular 

 in California that broken bottles, by focusing the sun's rays i 

 upon inflammable material, are a frequent source of fires ; but : 

 the theory has never been verified. During ten years in which i 

 accurate fire records have been kept in California not a single 

 case of this sort has come to light. 



Preventable fires can be prevented only by educating the 

 public. This the Forest Service attempts to accomplish by vari- 

 ous devices, but especially by giving currency to the Woodsman's 

 Six Rules : 



(1) Matches. — Be sure your match is out. Pinch it before 

 you throw it away. 



(2) Tobacco. — Tlirov; pipe ashes and cigar or cigarette 

 stumps in the dust of the road and stamp or pinch out the fire 

 before leaving them. Don't throw them into brush, leaves, or 

 needles. 



(3) Making camp. — Build a small campfire. Build it in the 

 open, not against a tree or log or near brush. Scrape away the 

 trash from all around it. 



