Show FOREST FIRES destructive in ili the past ten years fires which burned over acres were reported on the national forests of the intermountain district according to district forester R H rutledge of ogden of this number 60 per cent were man caused and the remainder resulted from lightning it cost the forest service and nearly halt half a million dollars to extinguish these fires while the actual loss in timber and forage runs well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars these figures says the district forester when presented in ten year totals show what an enormous tribute the people of the lain west pay to man caused forest fires since the fires started by lightning burned less than one tenth of the total area and caused but a small fraction of the damage done by the ores fires started by human carelessness in the elimination or reduction to the absolute minimum of this latter type ot of fire the forest service will bend its every energy the cause causa of every forest fire will be run down by forest rangers immediately after the fire is controlled and where there Is kikeli likelihood hood of an offender escaping special officers will be detailed to collect evidence and stay with the case to the end besides these more strenuous efforts on the legal side concluded mr air rutledge we wa shall endeavor to educate and advise all people using the forests as to the forest fire danger prevention after iiii all Is what the forest service wants not prosecution |