Show Annual Ravages of Fires Fires' I Begin Again in Big Woods 4 4 1 r l tr 4 c y I A Y-J Y I IA It t A remarkable photograph of the forest fire in Montana last year one of the worst blazes in the history of the state It covered acres before it was checked I By II NEA EA Service MISSOULA Mont The lont-The The annual forest bonfire with its million dollar losses is about to begin again Fires are raging in five forests and with Indications that this will be another dry dIy summer and early fall fail crews at the forest service warehouses ses here and at other centers of ot the northwest have been shipping supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies to the thousands of ot men who will be employed to check the costly costly cost cost- ly terrible le ravenous eating of the fire demon in the national timber reserves This town of Missoula Is really the forest font fire fighting headquarters headquarters for the whole northwest The central buying for tor forthe forthe the forest service is maintained here and points as far away as asAI AI Alaska Aluska rind and Tennessee get their fire firefighting firefighting firefighting fighting equipment from here In an emergency STORE FOOD IN FORESTS Twenty thousand rations have been placed in canoes at vital points In the f forest rest a waiting awaiting the da day of need when fire crews will come In Into Into into to fight tight the flames Equipment for extra fire fighters is s on hand handin in the the- warehouse As Au indication of the scope of ot the shipments it lt is stat stated d that es h have ve been sent out from the thear ar warehouse house this y year Food and supplies amounting to between and are distributed from the forest service centers each year the total depending to n a great extent upon the fire season If It it is a serious year with many men men hired to help the regular crews the expenses mount higher Last ye-ar ye year J 1148 forest fires s spread read Dyer Dver this leaving acres of burned worthless timber r acres of this land being national national national na na- na- na fore forest foret t reserve T This ls is more than six aix times the the damage damage of ot previous previous previous ous years ears LOSSES REACH MILLIONS Two men lost their lives while white fighting fire last year and three towns were totally wiped oft off the map and many homes were destroyed de de- de- de forcing the occupants to torun torun torun run for their lives A battalion of the Fourth rn- rn fantry stationed at Fort Missoula ula was called Into service to fight blazes which were destroying valuable val val- ut ble timber reserves in Glacier National 1 park One company consisting consisting con con- slating of ot approximately 6 65 men were trapped for tor a a day and lay in a n. creek Two of th the men were brought to a Missoula hospital Injured from falling timber A dozen forest service service ser set vice trucks are now in readiness waiting the first big call From 1916 to 1920 forest fire tire losses were estimated at an average o of a year for forthe forthe forthe the wh whole le country Organized forest fire fighting has cut down the losses somewhat but they near the mark annually annually annually an an- in itt spite of ot all precautions precautions- and the precautions cost coat nearly 5 a year |