22 BULLETIX 1402, U. S. DEPAETMEXT OF AGRICULTUEE 
To hJocl' out large, compact areas loith fire Jines. — The greatest 
danger is that fires will get a good start in the major portion of the 
cut-over areas outside cleared strips. Even piling and burning of all 
slash will not. in such cases, prevent rapid spread and great destruc- 
tion. The logical precautionary measure is to break up the cut-over 
area into blocks by supplementars' cleared lines, on wlrich all slash 
is piled and burned, and from which back-firing can be done 
at short notice. Such lines can not be expected to stop bad fires 
automatically, but will give a good place from which to fight 
them. The size and shape of blocks will necessarily vary, since 
location of the lines will naturally take advantage of topogi^aphy 
features, existing roads and trails, etc. Blocks should not exceed 
80 to 100 acres in size and preferably should be smaller. The 
basic idea of blocking is. of course, to confine bad fires to a 
single block, and it must be expected that if a fire gets a good 
start on a cut-over area, either in slash or where slash has been 
burned, it will burn out an entire block. 
THE ESSENTIAL STEPS IX FIEE COXTEOL 
The special measures suggested for prevention and suppression 
are. it is worth emphasizing, obvious and common-sense steps, as 
necessary for protection of the operation as to save young growth. 
If experience in logging California pine demonstrates anytliing. 
it is this: Fires will start, they will become large unless tended, and 
the operator responsible sooner or later has a large and costly sup- 
pression job on his hands, with consequent serious interruption of 
logging and possible loss of valuable equipment, improvements, 
or timber. The experience of the few operators who have really 
attacked the problem of reducing these big su^^pression jobs to 
a minimum corroborates that of the Forest Service, and shows 
that fires due to logging can be controlled consistently and at 
small cost, but that tliis control must be made a specific and care- 
fully planned project and not considered an incident to logging such 
as can be attended to by anyone. 
To sum up. the few simple and inexpensive steps needed in 
addition to the general protection system which should apply to 
all forest lands, virgin as well as cut-over, include clearing of the 
ground around special risk areas, breaking of slashings into small 
blocks by cleared lines, and use of mechanical devices and fuel 
that will prevent sparks from reaching the ground. They include 
also employment of a camp warden system and the designation 
of specific individuals to handle suppression in each area of special 
risk. EquijDinent necessary for suppression must of course be 
provided : snags on special risk areas should be felled, and a special 
patrol provided during and after logging until the hazard is 
reduced to normal. 
THE COST OF SPECIAL FIRE PROTECTION MEASURES 
The direct costs of the various steps proposed as special fire pro- 
tection measures on cut -over land are well established by the ex- 
perience of private owners as well as that of the Federal Govern- 
