Show mm FIGHTING THE FOREST FIRES washington sept 7 officials of the U S department of agriculture are of the opinion that 1910 N will ill hold the record among many years lor for the see itty ol of the losses from forest fires the summer fires hollowed Toll owed a spring season believed to have boon been tile worst certainly in the lake laha states known for a long time nor Is it wise to assume that the danger is over when the fierce conflagrations which have called forth in the mountain states the efforts of throe three federal departments have been conquered the forests will not be sate safe until the fall rains and snows have once 0 nee more made a wet blanket of cf the dry forest floor that the total losses of the year will run up to many millions of dollars Is considered certain how such losses may bo be presented ted is a matter mintter of general public concern to the national r orest forest timber burned must be added great amounts on state and private holdings besides the immense damage done to tow town farm and other property railroads have hae suffered from the interruption of traffic as well as from direct losses A bulletin by forester henry S graves discusses forest tires fires and lid the proper methods of preventing and fighting them as follows in some sections of the country forest fires have always been of such common occurrence occur ence that elicio is a popular notion that they can call not be prevented the lisk from tires fires can never be entirely eliminated for in the forest there Is always alias alia s inflammable matei material fal which is very easil easily y ignited they may however be largely prevented and under efficient organization their damage may be kept down to a very small amount the problem is like that in cities where fires can call never be entirely eliminated but where the risk of loss to property may be reduced almost to ins insignificance anif the importance of systematic provision for the early discovery disco vc y of fires and for getting a properly equipped force of tire fighters quickly to the scene of an outbreak is insisted upon by forester graves A careful supervision er or patrol during the dry season he says is one or of the most important measures in organized forest protection one of the llie funda in I 1 principles in fire protection asto T s to V detect and and attack f fires I 1 res in their incipiency inci pency after pointing out the value of lookouts telephone or signal communication and arlous arious methods of patrol the forester tells how to fight fires as follows the principles or lighting eting forest fires are essentially the same as those recognized in fighting fires in cities the following are of first importance 1 quick arrival at the fire 2 an adequate force 3 proper equipment 4 a thorough organization of the fighting crew and 5 skill in attacking attaching fires quick access to tires fires is accomplished through the of supervision and patrol in discovering fires before they have gained much headway and by a well dei developed eloped system of communication ill through rough the forest by roads and trails A small tire fire may be put out by one man but in extensive forests several hours may pass before the fire can be reached it is import important atit to secure an adequate force of men and to get them to the fire quickly in a well vell organized estem s stem of patrol the guard who discovers a lire fire communicates quickly to other guards and to headquarters by telephone signal or other means arid and indicates the number of men lie he needs the efficiency of the firefighting fire fighting crew depends very largely on their skill and and particularly on the skill shill and experience of the man directing the work it is not only a question of knowledge of how to assign each man where his bis faill be most effective but there must be judgment exercised in determining the general method of attack the character ot of the fire the character of the forest the condition of the atmosphere the strength and direction of the wind the rapidity with which tile the fire is running and many other points have to be taken into cons consideration d crati on after describing how surface tires fires may be put out by beating by throwing sand or loose earth and by other methods the account goes on oil sometimes the aront of the fire is so fierce that it is impossible to meet directly one method under such circumstances is to direct uie the course of the alie fire the attack is made on oil the sides near the front separating the forward portion of the tire fire from the main wings A part of the crow crew attacks the forward part and others run down and extinguish the wings the front of the tire fire attacked from tile the sides is forced gradually and constantly into a narrower path U dually the front can lie be directed toward some cleared space road pond stream swamp or fire line when it will be checked enough to admit of a direct front attack sometimes by tills this plan the trout front may be rapidly narrowed by alic sides until it is at last entirely extinguished the plan of giving direction to the course of the tire fire has often been successfully carried out when the fighting crew is too small for a direct attack when fires gain such headway that it Is impossible to stop them by direct attack no matter how nu numerous erous and efficient the crew or complete tile the equipment for fighting back firing becomes tile the only means of stopping the tire fire jit jt should lio ho ever be used only when it is absolutely necessary one of the commonest mistakes in III fighting flies is to 10 overestimate the rapidity of the tire fire an and d th uie e difficulty dini culty of putting it out A forest tire fire is always a frightening spectacle particularly it if it is sweeping in the direction of ones property prop eity men become excited and start back fires when entirely unnecessary back Dack firing necessarily involves deliberately burn ing over property when this belongs to another person and ones own forest seems in ill danger Ip nger there is a great temptation to sacrifice it it if it is lound found that a back fire is necessary a favorable point is selected directly in front of the fire from which to set the new fire such as a road fire line stream or swamp the leabes are ignited as points live five feet to a rod apart for a distance not greater than the estimated width ot or the lead head of the fire these small fires gradually meet and fo boim I 1 in a continuous line file eating back against the wind v and A part of the crew is stationed across the road or other break from which the back fire is started and put out at once tile the small fires which may insult bioni the blown over irom from the bank lire fire the ine meeting eting of the to fires stops at once the head of the fire it is usually possible then t to 0 attack the icings with fth the ordinary methods of fighting it Is necess necessary nry to attack the wings at once part particularly if there is i strong wind for otherwise each cacti wing ol of the old fire would soon form an ailt fire with a well developed head it is necessary also that a number of men be stationed where here the oi original fire and the back lire fire meet tit in order to extinguish smoldering fires in tops lops and other debris A fire is never out concludes tile the bulletin unless tile the list last spark is extinguished often a lop log or snag will smolder unnoticed after tile the flames have apparently been conquered only to break out afresh with a rising wind after tile the firefighting fire tire fighting crew has left the ground it is always well to assign at least one man to patrol the edges of 0 tile the burned area until it is certain that the fire is entirely out tills this may not be for several days |