Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 May 1901 — Potent Cause of Forest Fires. [ARTICLE]

Potent Cause of Forest Fires.

The most frequent causes of woodland fires in our State (New York) are the small fires started by farmers for the purpose of burning brush, logs and stumps, in order to clear some piece of land. These are known locally as fallow fires, and the operation is generally alluded to as burning a Toiler.” This work, as a rule, is carelessly done, and as the farmer always selects a dry time in order to get a good bum, as he terms it, the fire escapes too frequently into the adjoining forest Having piled the brush and logs into heaps for burning, the farmer seldom employs any extra help to guard against* the escape of the fire, and so when a breeze springs up, as is very apt to be the case, he is unable to control the flames or prevent them from being driven into the adjoining woods. Too often he is known to set fire to his brush heaps and then go away to attend to other work, leaving the fire unwatched. Nearly all the burned areas in the Adirondack region are due to the carelessness of men employed in these petty agricultural operations.— Report of Forest, Fish and Game Commission.