OCR Text |
Show Isanti Forest Fire Is Under Control i . i firstLet-llpIn Ravages Since Outbreak of fire Tha destructive fire which began , rrandaU canyon on Thursday of tot week and which TZfently raged unchecked thru fnvons adjacent to Hunting-S Hunting-S canyon in the Manti National 't was finally well under con-hSi con-hSi todav, according to advices reeled re-eled from the Gooseberry CCC "Se blaze swept through Cran-hU Cran-hU Horse Pasture, Horse Creek, Zd and Shingle Mill canyons and flir a while threatened to tear into in-to Joe's Valley and Scad Valley, but 'its inroads there were prevent-fA prevent-fA hy. the strenuous efforts of 87 CCC fire-fighters, A total of 207 bovs from the Gooseberry camp, F-jg' F-jg' battled the blaze Monday, Tuesday Tues-day and Wednesday under direction of Ranger Wells Thursby, before control was at last established. Thursday morning the Wednesday Wednes-day night 'fire patrol of thirty men came into camp to get a shave, wash up and recuperate generally. ' They planned on relieving another ' thirty men Thursday night. It was expected that by Saturday, barring advent of imforseen difficulties, the blaze would be entirely out, or at least under complete control. Rang-er Thursby Describes Spread of Fire Thru Canyons Swelling the fcrce of CCC men already fighting the disastrous fires in the Manti National Forest east of here to a total of 205, fifty new recruits from Gooseberry CCC camp P-28 were Monday morning enlisted in what had up to that . . time been a losing battle. "It is the worst fire the Manti .. forest has known since its creation," crea-tion," said Ranger Wells Thursby while snatching time to shave In the fire fighters" camp which is located lo-cated in Huntington Canyon about -13 idles southeast of the Gooseberry Goose-berry CCC camp. Thursby was in charge: of those combatting the ; Are. ' "Beginning Thursday morning, in Crandall canyon, which runs off frcm Huntington canyon about 15 miles northwest of Huntington, the fire has leaped from one place to another until to date the following five' canyons have been ravaged Crandall, Horse Pasture, Shingle. Mill, Blind and Horse Creek. "Ranger Lee Young of Nuck Woodward ranger station had a crew of men fighting the Crandall canyon blaze within two hours af ter Its discovery. He was the' first man cn the line. Several times since then we thought we had it under control, but sudden sharp winds springing up took the fire In every possible direction, and it now looks as if the only thing that can save us Is a good rain. "How many square miles of territory ter-ritory have been razed, how much valuable Douglas Fir and other timber has been destroyed, it is impossible im-possible to even estimate. The north slopes of all the canyons in that section are heavily timbered, and the south facings are covered with hlphiy inflammable dry weeds, gras ; and brush, which burn like tinder. It is impossible to halt the flames In the face of strong winds racing thru such country. "The Crandall canyon fire was Practically under control within a snail area by the middle of Thursday Thurs-day afternnon. Then a high wind rose and rushed it toward the southeast, until it had scattered 'rom Crflndall to Horse Pasture canyon, a mile and a half below Crandall. "Friday night it looked as if only on-ly one small spot in Crandall on we opposite side of the canyon Irom the point of origin might give s trouble. But early Saturday it Je out of Crandall on the upper up-per side into Shingle Mill, thence ito Blind Canyon, and from there mo Horse Creek, moving this ie in a northwesterly direction - to a change im the wind." "j ounrtay morning a crew of '" men had been stationed completely com-pletely around the fire. But early in nn Tornir,E a bad wind arose, ana the fire took out the entire L the left fork f Crandall, " was trenched. From there moved into Mill Creek, which is m of Hor.se Pasture canvon. fl,eun,lme the uPPer end of the broke cut of the left fork of ek and covered the rest, of irL?J S in that canyon. Con-onted Con-onted by terrifflc winds, the fire .".7!. could d0 virtually nothing. ..." t the Present time," said Ran-rnursby Ran-rnursby Sunday evening; "there in. ,lU5ssibmty of the fire's jump-alsV jump-alsV e Miller's Flat territory: loft t, of Horse Creek into the t fork oi Huntington. We are al-Gmt al-Gmt d 0f 11 crossing to the ton r? Moimt!n side of Hunting-reL. Hunting-reL. ?'n- We are keeping that b on heavily patrolled, and also canv m 20 men Birch Creek rnoimr,0" the we side of the oken outWhere the flre haS &gaUl "We are sending as large a crew of men a? we can handle in from the Joe's Valley side to stop it from crossing the Huntington canyon drainage into the Joe's Valley drainage." It was stated that the Crandall canyon, fire was po'sibly started by a bolt of lightning, but that in all probability some careless tourist or camper was responsible. There is a possibility, Ranger Thursby said, that the entire Manti Forest will be closed to snickers and fires, with no flrej allowed except under permit. Rangers Thursby and Young joined in praising the excellent loyalty and splendid cooperation of the Gooseberry CCC boys In the tremendous battle which Is being waged. Ranger Merrill Anderson of the Joe's Valley station is also assisting as-sisting In directing the fight. Reports were received in town Tuesday evening to the effect that the fire had spread into Joe's Valley Val-ley and Scad Valley, and that it could be sighted from certain points in Sanpete valley. - Later on one of the men stationed station-ed at the Go;6eberry CCC camp reported that the flre had spread to the left fork of Huntington, and was creeping gradually up that same canyon. This same informant told the Pyramid that the beys from the camp have been going to work at 2:30 a. m. and continuing cn the fire line eight miles long until Oi. late as 10 p. m. in an effort to gam .control of the flames. |