Smoke haze reduces visibility from aircraft warning 
stations and fire lookouts. 
Many defense plants and military establishments are 
located in or adjacent to forest areas and might be 
damaged or destroyed by major conflagrations. 
Forest fires serve as beacons for the enemy. 
F, According to Lt. Gen, H, A. Drum , Headquarters, Eastern Defense 
Command, 
"Protection of our forests is one of the most important duties 
a citizen may perform in time of war. Wood like oil is 
essential to our war machine. Forest fires destroy a price¬ 
less source of raw materials and also serve the enemy by 
endangering vital installations. In protecting our forests 
in time of war we preserve a national heritage for the days 
of peace." 
G, Because of smoke from forest fires ’at least 10,000 flying hours 
were lost at one airplane training school near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 
in 1941, the chief pilot there has estimated. 
H. Anti-aircraft training at Camp Davis,’North Carolina, is said to 
have been seriously interrupted (during the spring of 1942) by nearby 
forest fires, and in a number of instances trainees were used to combat 
those fires. 
I. Secretary of Agriculture Wickard says " Until we smash the Axis 
every man-made forest fire is an enemy fire ." 
3. Geographical aspects of the 
wartime forest fire prevention problem 
A. Three broad zones . After bringing war industry and national defense 
angles of the forest fire prevention problem very definitely into, the 
picture, the United States has been divided into three broad zones, 
aach of which has been weighted to indicate relative importance. 
As indicated on the map - which a],so shows Forest Service administrative 
regions - which follows page 4 
Zone I , with relative importance 60, includes (a.) 3 Pacific Coast 
States plus western Montana and northwestern Idaho; (b) 
most of the 3 Great Lakes States; (c) a strip 100-150 miles 
wide along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. 
- 3 ~ 
