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Show GOVERNMENT REPORTS LOWEST FIRE LOSS With Uio middlo of September tho flro season on tho national forosts has como practically to an end with less darango than ever recorded. Thoro Is always somo danger from carolessness of campers or of settlors burning brush nnd clearing land, but tho real danger season extends only from tho middlo of Juno until the middlo ot Soptember. Forest officers throughout the wost nro congratulating themselves on a season so markodly freo from heavy losses. They feel that tho Immunity from loss has been duo to two principal prin-cipal causes, partly to a favorable season, but largely to a much better organization for fire prevention than hns been attained heretofore Tho effectiveness of tho organization Is shown particularly by the fact that while there wero In all approximately 22C0 tires, as against 2,470 last year, yet tho area burned so far this year i only about 60,000 acres os against 230,000 acres In 1912, nnd 780,000 In 1911. A singlo administrative district, which covers tho intcrmountnln region re-gion of southern Idaho, western Wyoming, Wy-oming, Utah, Nevada, nnd western Arizona, gives an example of the most favorablo situation. Only 43 fires' wero encountered, 29 or which originated In Idaho. Tho total area burned over amounted to only 956 acres which Is considerably less than four one hundred thousandths of the total nrea patrolled by forest officers offic-ers in theso states. California, Arizona, and Now Mexico Mexi-co havo suffered most during the I'nst season. The various causes of fires hnvo not changed greatly In their relntlvo proportions. pro-portions. Railroads and lightning head tho list, with campers next. There has been, however, a marked decrease in the number of fires caused caus-ed by burning brush, which .according .accord-ing to tho foiest officers, Indicates n closer co-operation with the settlers in nnd near the forests and with timber tim-ber land owners In (Ire prevention and control. It is still true, nevertheless that a largo proportion of nil fires started aro due to human agencies and may genernlly bo charged against carelessness. Fires caused by lightning light-ning n-e of course, not" preventable, but tho system of lookouts by which they may be detected immediately after af-ter being set is greatly lessening the loss from this source. |