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Show IOW FIRE LOSS OX NATIONAL FORESTS A loss to the government of $162,-385 $162,-385 in timber, forage and young growth was caused by fires on the National Forests in 1916, according to statistics compilod by the Forest Service. Although there was more than the average number of fires, the loss Is the smallest that has ever been sustained from fires since the National Forests were established. establish-ed. A favorable season In the regions re-gions where the most severe damage Is usually sustained Is given as the chief reason for the relatively small loss. A total of 299,377 acres of government gov-ernment land was burned over. In addition to this, the fires covered 123,160 acres of privately owned land in the National Forests where timber valued at $36,214 was consumed. con-sumed. About 44 per cent of the total area burned was located In the National Forests of Arkansas and Florida. Of the 5.655 fires which occurred, 4,133, or 73 per cout, were confined to areas of less than 10 acres. Many of these small fires, according to the Forest Service, might have developed develop-ed into -serious conflagrations had they not been extinguished in their Incipiency. The average cost of fighting each fire was approximately half that of former years. Lightning was the chief cause of tho fires and was responsible re-sponsible for 23 per cent of all those which occurred. The causes of 18 per cent were unknown, while carelesB campers started about 17 per cent. There was a slight increase in-crease In the fires of Incendiary origin, ori-gin, as well as those started by the sparks of locomotives. With the exception of those caused by lightning, light-ning, all the fires were due to human agencies. One fire in Idaho which burned 600.000 feet of timber was caused by the carelessness of a 10 ; year old boy. j |