| Show WHEN THE FORESTS BURN one match one shouldering ing cigarette karette ci butt one spark from a camp fire can be the cause of the destruction of thousands of acres of timber that it took nature centuries to create and when the forests burn the cruelest crudest of deaths comes to the wildlife that live in thelt their shelter this thid year the country has witnessed a number of very serious forest fires the hazard does not end with the summer months there has been unusually dry weather in various sections of the country trees and woodlands will be ripe for destruction by fire for some time to come there seems to be a rather widespread idea that most forest fires are started by natural causes beyond the ability of man to prevent or control that is not true As the new york times has said some home fires of course are set by lightning but authorities are agreed that nine out of ten are due entries to human carelessness with matches cigarettes or camp fires annually they cause direct losses running into many millions of dollars and equally serious indirect losses in the destruction of our dwindling forest reserves the human factor in fact is responsible for almost all fires whether they take place in a forest in a home or in a factory carelessness indifference to rudimentary precautions these are fires friends when we replace them with care and watchfulness fire will be beaten |
