Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Prince Rupert Forest District wild fire mapping records
General material designation
- cartographic material
- technical drawing
- graphic material
Parallel title
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Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of series.
Level of description
Series
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
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Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1921-1991; predominant 1921-1980 (Creation)
- Creator
- British Columbia. Prince Rupert Forest District
Physical description area
Physical description
28 cm of maps and textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Numbering within publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Prince Rupert Forest District was established in 1913 under the Forest Act, 1912. In 1917, the Hazleton Forest District was added to the Prince Rupert Forest District.
In 1978, it was renamed the Prince Rupert Forest Region, but the boundaries of the area remained identical. Between 1978 and 1981 the Prince Rupert Forest Region was further divided into the following Forest Districts: Lakes, Morice, Bulkley, Kispiox, Kalum, Mid-Coast, Queen Charlotte, North Coast and Cassiar. These were based on the Previous Ranger Districts.
Custodial history
Scope and content
This series consists of wildfire mapping records including fire atlas maps and fire reports from the Prince Rupert Forest District. The records date from 1921-1980. Collectively these records provide a comprehensive image of the amount and extent of forest fires in the area.
The Prince Rupert Forest District was divided into smaller Ranger Districts. These Ranger Districts changed over the years, but included: Burns Lake, Hazleton, Terrace, Prince Rupert, Kitwanga, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), Ocean Falls, Francois Lake, Smithers, Telkwa, Houston, Pendleton Bay, Kitimat, Lower Post, Topley, Bella Coola, Southbank, Telegraph Creek and Atlin.
Annual fire reports are oversized handwritten tables that provide detailed information on individual fires for the years 1921-1967. The tables list: name of the fire; name of officer in charge; date; district fire number; fire origin; cost of fighting and source of funds; area burned; total area of damage done; amount of merchantable and unmerchantable timber burned; amount of range land burned; amount of property or other damage caused; and the cause of the fire. Possible causes include lightening, recreational activities, railroad clearing, smokers, brush or range burning, construction, industrial activities, incendiaries, miscellaneous known causes and unknown causes. The pages are arranged by year, with one page used per Ranger District. Each year includes a summary sheet with the totals for all Ranger Districts.
Fire atlas maps and overlays show the location and type of fires, as well as the extent of some burned areas. The majority of the maps are forest cover maps which have been annotated or had overlays added with this additional information. Many of the maps have been cut to fit in the bound volume they were originally stored in. This can make it difficult to determine the precise year the maps were created and annotated.
The series also includes one scrapbook of newspaper clippings related to forest fires, fire protection and firefighting for the years 1988-1991. This item was created by the successor of the Prince Rupert Forest District, the Prince Rupert Forest Region.
Ministries responsible for the creation of this series, and their dates of the responsibility, are:
Dept. of Lands (1908-1945)
Dept. of Lands and Forests (1945-1962)
Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources (1962-1975)
Dept. of Forests 1975-1976
Ministry of Forests 1976-1986
Ministry of Forests and Lands 1986-1988
Ministry of Forests 1988-2005
Notes area
Physical condition
The records were originally housed as three volumes. The small scrapbook has been kept as it was found. The two oversized volumes were removed from their bindings and rehoused in archival folders.
Immediate source of acquisition
Transferred from the Northwest Fire Centre of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations in 2017.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no access restrictions.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
General note
Accession number(s): 96-9580
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Name access points
- British Columbia. Prince Rupert Forest District (Subject)
- British Columbia. Dept. of Lands (Subject)
- British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Forests (Subject)
- British Columbia. Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources (Subject)
- British Columbia. Dept. of Forests (Subject)
- British Columbia. Ministry of Forests (1976-1986) (Subject)
- British Columbia. Ministry of Forests and Lands (Subject)
- British Columbia. Ministry of Forests (1988-2005) (Subject)