a 
28 BULLETIN 1493, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
region is unburned slash with snags standing, and the least inflam- 
mable is second-growth timber 40 to 100 years old in dense stands. 
Between these two extremes is every gradation. 
Topography has a very important mfluence on inflammability. 
Fire burns more fiercely on hillsides than on level ground, and on 
south-facing slopes than on north slopes. More intensive protection 
is needed in mountainous country than in flats. 
Another factor that affects inflammability is the local climate. 
The general climate is similar in all parts of the Douglas fir region; 
yet there are considerable local variations in the average weather.. 
For example, bordering the ocean and west of the Coast Range and. 
the Olympics is the fog belt, where cold fogs common throughout the: 
summer keep down the inflammability of the forest. From north to 
south in the Douglas fir region, the summer climate grows progres- 
sively hotter and drier. Again, at the higher altitudes in the Cascade 
Range there is a shortening of the fire season owing to the cooler 
temperature, greater annual precipitation, and later melting of the 
snows. All these factors must be taken into account in considering 
the relative inflammability of various areas. 
Risk, or the likelihood of the starting of a fire, depends upon the 
proximity of railroads, logging operations, and land-clearing activi- 
ties, and upon the number of campers, fishermen, and lightning 
storms. Since most fires are man-caused, fires are likely to increase: 
with the increase of man’s presence in a region. The number that 
start because of man’s presence is naturally affected by the degree 
of care he exercises with his fires, which in turn is likely to fluctuate 
from year to year with changes in protection and law-enforcement 
methods and personnel. Incendiarism is a type of risk that is very 
uncertain and may occur anywhere. Were it not for lightning, it 
could be said that areas far removed from man’s activities are least. 
subject to the starting of fire and hence would need the least intensive 
protection. 
Accessibility is measured by the time that must elapse between 
the starting of a fire and the arrival of the suppression forces. It 
depends upon such things as the abundance and quality of trails. 
and roads, the natural difficulties of travel off the roads and trails, 
and the existence of telephone lines between the point of detection. 
and fire fighters. Accessibility is a very important consideration in 
organizing the forest-protection system. 
Those responsible for the protection of the region should study 
more critically the elements that go to make up the fire danger on 
each patrol district and then distribute the general cooperative fire- 
control moneys in accordance therewith. This is not an impossible 
task, even with the meager knowledge of field conditions at hand, 
and it is the only businesslike way of getting the most protection. 
against fire for the money. 
PREVENTIVE WORK SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED 
Nowhere is the old adage about ‘‘an ounce of prevention” truer 
than in fire control. Fire-suppression costs and fire losses may 
quickly run into enormous figures; a relatively small amount of 
money spent on prevention will go a long way in forestalling fire- 
fighting bills and losses. A-wise policy, therefore, is to devote so 
