Marion Progress

MARION PROGRESS, MARION, N.C., THURSDAY, JULY 28, 1949
IN MARION
165 Forest Fires
In This District
For Past Six Months
During the last six months period, first half of 1949, 165 forest fires occurred in the eight cooperating counties in district one of the N. C. Division of Forestry. These fires burned a total of 5.8 acres per fire. This amounted to a loss of 0.09 per cent of the area under protection in this district.

In comparison with the same periods for the 1947-48 seasons, the records show that in 1947, 187 fires occurred which burned 1,798 acres for an average of 9.6 acres per fire, for a loss of 0.21 per cent of the area under protection. In 1948, 173 fires occurred which burned 3,055 acres for an average of 6.1 acres per fire, and for a loss of 0.10 per cent of the area under protection.

During the last six months period, of the 165 fires which occurred, 11 were caused by campers and hunters, 58 by debris burners, 46 were incendiary, 11 were caused by railroads, 32 by smokers, and 7 were of a miscellaneous nature. This shows that 100 per cent of the fires occurring in the district were man caused and could have been prevented had proper precautions and care for the forest been exercised.

During this period, of the 165 fires occurring, the responsible parties were determined and reprimanded on 104 or 63.01 per cent, and law enforcement action was taken on 76 for 46.1 per cent.

M. U. Marlowe, of Glenwood, County Forest Warden of McDowell county, and his organization handled 20 forest fires during this period. These fires burned a total of 79 acres of privately owned forest land in McDowell county. Responsible parties were determined and reprimanded on 70 per cent of the fires and satisfactory law enforcement action taken on 36 per cent.

In McDowell county there is approximately 147,000 acres of privately owned forest land. The fire control organization in this county consists of 13 men; of these, one is towerman who mans Huntsville tower during the fire seasons, one is smokechaser who is on temporary duty when needed, and the other 11 men are district wardens who are located throughout the county and work when fires occur in their communities to suppress them. This organization, during the past six months, has issued approximately 800 brush burning permits.

Two State-owned forest fire lookout towers are located in this county, with a towerman's cabin at each location. These, with several U. S. Forest Service towers, give adequate detection for the county. The towers are connected to the local telephone exchange by 9 miles of Forest Service owned telephone lines, and 6 miles of Forest Service roads permits travel to these sites.

Necessary fire fighting equipment, including hand tools; two pickups with tool boxes; and two-way mobile radio are available when needed. These improvements are maintained and kept in good repair. In addition to the above, approximately 75 fire fighting tools are distributed to district wardens throughout the county.