R-USN - 2 - 9-25-31 



In the East, fires havo not boon troublesome this suninicr. Normal 

 redns havo occurred and fires do not start or sire easily caught. Very differen' 

 from the way it was in the Kast in the summer of 1930 during the terrible 

 Eastern drouth. 



About 64 per cent of our country's forests now have orgnnizod pro- 

 tection against forest fires, Mr, C.E. Randcll, the information man of the 

 U.S. Forest Service, tolls me. Of course, they have fires where there is 

 organized protection. But the area burned by forest fires on the protected 

 area is less than ono-oighth of the area burned on the 36 per cent yet to be 

 protected. That shows it pays to protect. 



The first thing in protection is to have an organized system of do- 



tccting the fires. For that reason, on the national Forests the Forest Service 



h^.s lookout stations located on high ground to spot fires. The idea is to 



locate the fires as soon as possible after it starts, and get nen to it to 

 put it out before it docs much danr^o. 



For that, telephone an.d other coranTuni cation linos arc needed, so the 

 lookout can report and the ranger or warden get word to rush the fire fighers 

 to the scene of danger. 



In order that the fire figlitors may bo prepared to h-andle the sitnar- 

 tion, the necessary tools and supplies must bo located at strategic points 

 tljTougliout the forest, iuid, of course, there must be axa adcqua.tc system of 

 roads and trails through tlic forest so the fire fighters can reach the fire 

 readily. 



Last year the Forest Service perfected and tested portable receiving 

 and code transmitting radio sets each vroigliing 79 pounds including batteries, 

 antennae, and all containers needed for moving the eq-alpmait in trucks or on 

 podr animals. Althtmgh it was found that radio caxiuni cation is interfered 

 vdth by rugged mountains and the presence of tree growth, the interference is 

 not enougli to preclude the beneficial use of such equipment. These portable 

 sets enable a man in the woods remote from a telephone lino to listeai to 

 voice transmitted from a central station on the national Forest and the man in 

 the woods can reply by use of telegraphic code. Further tests arc being 

 made of an ultra light weiglit set weighing porliaps less tlian ten pounds with 

 bat>:eries and all equipment, wMch will both receive voice radio messages 

 and send code replies. 



Aeroplanes have been used in forest protection on our Western national 

 Forests since 1919. Whdle their usefulness is not so great as is popularly 

 supposed, they havo a contribution to make to forest protection. During the 

 present sunr.:cr more landing fields on meadows and on fields cleared of timber 

 for tMs purpose are avsdlable th^ over before. In some instances fire 

 fighters are being transported hy planes. 



You sec, rxiny of our forest fires in the West arc caused by lightMng, 

 Sometinos, one electrical storm will start throe or four hundred separate 

 fires. 



Most forest fires, however, are caused by human carelessness; a burn- 

 ing match, a smouldering cigarette, or a spark from a camp fire not properly 

 pi^ o- r^rxr o'---, a, fire in the dry leavos and brush. In fact, some of the 



