Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-07-30
THE FIRE IN THE LAVA
1T Is SPREADING RAPIDLY IN
EVERY DIRECTION.
ShOshone Seriously Threatened with De.
Observation-Disclosures to Beat Back
the Flames-Travel Across the Lava
Likely to be Interrupted Unless the
Wind yecrs.

u WIND VeCrS.
Specials to the woop RIVE. rlMEsl
SHosnoNE, July 80, 1884.
The fire in the lava fields is spread.
ing i'll every direction, and advances
at the rate of one to two miles each
way, daily. 1t is not only the grass
} or hay that buns, but the sagebrush
also, and even the ground, which is
covere d with the accumulated debris
Of years, burns like dry straw. Much
OF the sagehrush and crossword in
the lava is as high as six and seven
feet, and burns like oil. The flames
can be seen shooting in the air
to the highth of Is to 20 feet, while
the atmosphere is filled with smoke,
and the smell Of the burning stuff is
plainly perceptible in the streets of
this city. During the day the horizon
is defined by line of white and
black smoke, while at night nothing
is seen, in all directions but to the
north, northwest and northeast, ex-
cept mass Of lurd flame. The
sight is startlingly grand. The line
OF the fire is still about five or six
miles from Shoshone, but if strong
wind should arise instead of the gen.
tie breeze stirring at present, the fire
would soon cover the intervening
space, as live brands are even now
blown hundreds of feet in advance of
the fire. When the sagebrush catches
fire, it crackles for few minutes, the
flames shoot upward from the top,
and something like an explosion takes
place which sends sparks and cinders
flying hundreds of feet in all direc-
tons.
Some OF the people here, who have
had experience in battling with brush
fires in the mountains and with prairie
fires on the plains of Nebraska, are seri-
onsly alarmed for the safety of the
town, and making preparations to
fight the flames. Water is being
brought from Little Wood River,
every barrel, bucket, and available
vessel is kept full of water, and old
clothes, blankets, and everything that
will hold water is being brought forth
and will be kept ready to soak and
beat out the flames. Movables are
being put in order to carry across the
river to the new addition, where, it is
believed, they will be safe. This is a
aeluslve hope, however, as if the fire
once gets to Shoshone the so or 60.
foot wide river will not prevent
brands from flying over and setting
ire to the dry hay and sagebrush
there. But as the river is handy the
ire can doubtless be prevented from
getting a good start on that side.
Communication between the falls
md this city is interrupted, and If the
ire spreads much along the track the
rains will be compelled to stop run
hing, as the atmosphere wherever the
ire prevails is sitting, and it is almos,
impossible for ANYTHING to live in it.
Shoshone is in the midst of a sage
brush plain, and no power on earth
seems likely to save it. The railroad
boys who have families here, beng
9th to leave. will probably, unit! the
ire subsidies, be relieved from duty by
hose who have no families.
1t is Of course impossible to lay out
he future line of the fire, as change
IF few points in the direction of the
wind might veer it to any point Of
he compass; but if it should keep on
n the same general direction as now,
md be famed by high wind, in less
than week it would be near Silver
Creek, and would threaten Bellevue.
HALEY and the Wood River and Saw
Tooth region. But 1t would doubtless
be stopped below Bellevue, as water
is quite plentiful in that vicinity, and
willing hearts and hands would soon