Show smokers bla blamed m ed for forest fires wi i sh ington smokers were ere held tile the greatest single factor responsible forthe fr the unprecedented dented number of forest fires in the east tills this spring in a statement hy by george D pratt new york president of tile alie american forestry association exceeding the records of previous years in many states stater pratt said the spring forest fires rendered hundreds of persons persona homeless and jobless burned over huid hundreds reds of thousands of acres of forest land valuable tn in timber and as recreational areas and aad have destroyed des troed the wild life of the woods Is it necessary to admonish the alie or beg for future carefulness flom th those 0 ho are held the greatest single nl menace to our countryside now talat atiat the facts are before them platt pj att asked ile he cited statistics coshow to shiow smokers have been blamed tor for GO 50 per cent of the forest fires in new york 38 per cent in new hampshire 37 per cent in connecticut IS 38 per cent in north carolina and 10 per cent in new jersey A large number of fires of unaccountable origin also alio were ft ere blamed by united states stales forest rang era eia on carelessly tossed cigarettes or cigars pratt fruit added in the state of rhode island where over er 00 per cent 0 of nil all fires which burned tit at least one eighth of tile the forest land area have been attributed attil buted to carelessness the disposal of burning tobacco in the wooded areas has been called the chief factor lie he continued although conclusive figures are not yet available the extent of the damage caused by the flies fires Is indicated by the fact that in one day may blay 4 more forest was burned in connecticut than in the year ot of 19 1920 an air patrol was used in new jersey and normal crews of ten men to fight forest fires were expanded in many cases to forty to which have been added special crews that nu number from fifteen to sev several oral hundred made up of special local groups and of imported help from the railroads the united states army navy and marine corps coast guards and others ot liers |