Show FIRE LOSS A loss him to the government of in timber longe forage and young growth was caused by fires on the national forests in 1916 according to statistics compiled by the forest service although there was more than the average number of fires the loss 0 is the smallest that has been sustained from fires since the national t ion alForest forests we were established reestablished A favo favorable aeson in the regions where the most at severe damage is a usually sustained is given as the the chief reason for the relative relatively y sma small I 1 loss A total of acres of government land was horned burned over in addition to this the fires covered acres of privately owned land in the national forest where timber valued at was consumed about 44 per cent of the total area burned was located in the national forests or arkansas and florida of the fires which ac cured or 73 per met cent were confined to areas of less lea than 10 acres many of these small email fires according to the forest service might have de 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 year lighting was waa the chief cause of the fires and was responsible pon sible for 23 per cent nt cfall of all those which occurred the causes of 18 per cent were unknown while care less campers started 17 per cent there was a slight increase in the fires of incendiary origin as well as those started by sparks from locomotives with the exception of those caused by lightning an the fires were due to human agencies one fire in idaho which burned feet of timber was caused by the carelessness of a ten year old boy the season was one of particular severity in the southwest as well as parts of colorado and wyoming where local weather conditions created at times a grave situation 1 n washington heavy less was wag caused by fires which started in maccas able places and which rangers were unable to reach for several days because mccause of the lack of trails |