Show FIRE PREVENTION President Roosevelt has proclaimed proclaimed pro pro- claimed chimed October 4 10 as National l tyro Jre Prevention Week The purpose purpose pur pur- pose pase of this Is to make the people of the U. U S S. S more conscious of the hazards of fire All AU man caused fires are preventable whether they occur In towns oron oron or on the forest measures measures measures meas meas- ures can b be brought about only through the education of the peo peo- pie Only when we fully realize the value of our homes and our natural resources and exercise good judgment in the prevention of fires can we hope to reduce the number of man caused fires Many people who vho enter the National National Na Na- I forest is considered a lL fire hazard This fact is plainly brought out when we consider the number of man-caused man fires On the Wasatch national forest alone during the period of 1931 to 1935 a total of fires were reported Causes were as follows Lightening Lighten Lighten- ing 19 campers smokers 41 other 43 43 A A total of acres acres- were burned of this amount a- a mount only acres was due to lightning The total damage done don was val valued ed at with 1 1 due to lightning Erosion Of all the man-caused man erosion that resulting from fire has probably probably probably ably b been n the worst Every where one goes throughout the West Vest old settlers tell of extensive fires firM al allowed allowed allowed al- al lowed to burn over ranges and forests forests forests for for- ests in the early days little or no effort being made to stop slop them Many of these were set for the purpose of exposing minerals or orin orin orin in the mistaken belief that they would improve the range Even when great greal effort is made to control control control con con- them fires the lee vege vege- vege tation on hundreds of thousands of acres of forest and range lands every year When hen one stands in several inches inches inches in in- ches of ashes on a steep sleep slope knowing ring that humus the life of the soil has been destroyed and that those ashes and the surface layer ayer of soil will be washed down the slope with the first dashing rain he realizes how great is the destruction from fire and erosion By FOYER OLSEN Forest Ranger |