A MILLION TREES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 185, 19 May 1938, Page 9

A MILLION TREES.

BRITAIN’S FIRE LOSSES. More than 1,000,000 trees in England and Wales have been destroyed. by heath and woodland fires already this year, says the “Daily Telegraph and Morning Post.’ 7 On the Forestry Commission’s plantations there were 106 fires in February. With March partly gone, there had been 112 fires. Last year there were three fires in February and 24 during the whole of March. It has been found that this year the fires have occurred mainly at the weekends, reaching a peak in number each Sunday. One Sunday alone 340 acres of plantation wore destroyed. Five patrols are working day and night, travelling on foot and by motorcycle through the miles of plantations. A ‘“fire plan’’ has been prepared for each separate plantation and an elaborate system of signals by maroon and flag has been arranged. On many plantations there are watch towers, connected by telephone to stations on the ground where fire-fighters are instantly available. Arrangements have been made with the Army and Air Force for the supply of troops to aid the foresters.

An official of the Forestry Commission said: “Trees of all ages are among the million destroyed this year on our plantations. Sometimes the foresters have seen the work of ten or twenty years destroyed in a few hours. “Many fires have broken out on private property* as well as on ours, and we are making every endeavour to educate the public into taking better care.’'