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Show More Care To Be Used In Issuing Fire Permits On Forest Land For many years the County Sheriff has been the ex-officio county fire warden. This means that because he is the sheriff, he is also the county fire warden. In many instances the sheriff has not been a "fire" man, and he has been placed more than once on the spot when it came to the question of whether or not to issue is-sue a burning permit. An Added Responsibility This year a war year with shortages of man power for fighting fight-ing fire and with more definite need than ever before to protect our state's natural resources, there is an added responsibility for those obliged to either issue or not issue burning permits. This year, too, finds private land owners and county, state, and federal agencies cooperating in the organization of the Forest Fire Fighters' service in an effort to be thoroughly ready for the coming fire season. We are coming to the same conclusion con-clusion that a fire is a fire, that uncontrolled fire is not a respector of land because of ownership, and that its damage to private land is just as great as it is to federal (Continued on page eight) Fire Permits (Continued from first page) range or national forest. Sheriff Antone B. Prince is the man in this county to whom we look for protection of life and property. The sheriff is the man who should and does control the issuance of burning permits. On the other hand, the Forest service and Grazing service have been studying fire weather and fire danger for years. This year the issuing of burning permits for controlled con-trolled burning in Washington county will rest on the cooperative decision of the county sheriff and local Forest and Grazing service men. Burning will be permitted only when weather conditions are suitable. |