Stop Forest Fires Campaign Launched bv Rangers

A concerted campaign inaugurated this week by Federal and State foresters will align the forces of many thousands of volunteer fire prevention officers throughout California, pledged to offer their services in forest protection.

The call for fire prevention volunteers colnes as a measure to retard the outbreak of an unprecedented number of fbrest fires starting from human causes, mostly due to carelessness. California's calamitous fire season is said to be only half over with high hazards extending into October for the northern and central sections of the State and probably carrying to the middle of November or later in southern California.

Inscribed on volunteer pledge cards now being issued by forest rangers is the bearer's agreement to "do all in my power to prevent the occurrence of fires in the forests and fields of California and to abide by all Federal, State and' County fire laws and regulations. I further agree to advise all members of my outing party, as well as my friends, of these fire laws and to see that they abide by them. I also pledge myself to act as a Volunteer Fire Prevention Officer and to promptly rep-ort all fires seen to the nearest Federal, State or County forest ranger."

Adverse weather conditions and an apparent slackening of public caution have combined to make the present fire season one of the most disastrous in the past decade. Humidity is generally lower throughout the forests, temperatures are higher than usual, winds are stronger. Mancaused fires this year are double the number of last year at this time.

Regional Forestgf. S, B. Sfrow and State Forester M. B. Pratt have directed pribtic attention to a summary dis- closing the following grim features of the 1939 fire season to date for the entire State:

Three forest rangers and fire fighters have lost their lives fighting fires. Scores of foresters, CCC enrollees and other fire fighters have been severely burned and injured.

Out of a total of. 4,7fi frres, \,219 were man-caused. Cigarette '1flippers" and other smokers, campers, incendiaries and brush burners head the list.

Over 47O000 acres of forests, brush and grass cover are destroyed.

Fire fighting expenditures to date are $840,000.

Damage to watersheds, timber, recreation areas, grazing lands, improvements, etc., is figured at approximately $1,000,000, with future damage, particularly from floods, probably running into additional millions of dollars.

Thousands of game animals, birds and fish have perished in this summer's forest fires. At least 200 deer died in one major conflagration known to have been started by a careless smoker.

A dozen or more outstanding scenic areas of the State have been destroyed or severely scarred.

Foresters declare that the whole problem of reducing outbreaks of man-caused fires is squarely up to forest users and visitors, motorists, vacationists, hunters and fishermen. If sustained conservation movem-ents, special fire prevention campaigns and law enforcement actions fail to alleviate the present serious situation Federal and State authorities may be'forced to close f'orest areas to public entry, particularly during hunting seasons.