The San Francisco call., 1899-10-22

Y \ a sea of fire on a lonely mountain
top, fighting for their lives, and even
more for the lives of others. were the
/ brave men who stayed the progress Of
the Mil Valley fire Of a week ago.
Thousands of dwellers in Marin
County who lived among the wooded can
yOns and hills swept by the recent fire
have thanked providence as they have
never done before for that work that saved
their homes and lifelong accumulations
Of property from destruction.
VIII l. PIXey, who lived in Marin Coun-
ty before the days of the railroad. and
has seen all Of the great fires. had some
interesting accounts OF them and of the
last fire,
Il did not think that the fire would get
much of a start" he said, "as Mil Valley
has heretofore always managed TO quick
y suppress its own fires by prompt action
and unlimited use Of money in securing
men, but above all by their complete sys-
TEN of roads, which cut the forest In
every direction, giving freedom Of move
ment and opportunity for proper disposi-
tion of their forces.
1t seems though that the fire got too
much of a start. and in the Corte MADEIRA
Canyon Of Bhthedale it crossed not only
road, but two roads, with the creek and
included land lying between them. 1t
seemed to make a flying leap from one
side Of the valley to the other without
touching the trees In the canyon. From
there the fire had no opposition nor could
any be given until 1t reached the top of
the hill lying between Blithedale and
Warner Canyon. Here the hardest fight
was made, but owing to the fact that
there was no road or trail and that the
brush was high and dense II was as much
as a mans life was worth to go in there
The fire advanced slowly down this hill
When it approached the bottom of the
canyon was the time when the people of
Corte MADEIRA and Larkspur should have
met it and made their entire fight there.
instead of waiting until the fire had
burned the heavy timber from the Warner
Canyon up to the top Of Little TamaIpais
and gathered almost irresistible force to
sweep down upon them.
"The forest fires must be fought where
they can be beaten. and not be left 10
burn until up against a mans fence 1t
IS impoSsi BILE to eXtinguish one Of them
when under good headway and coming up
a hill. but when descending a hill the fire
IS very sluggish and advapces mainly by
the tumbling down hill of rotten logs and
the wood in rats nests. These burning
brands are. Of course, easy to put out
with a shovel to beat them and throw
earth on them, but If they are left. they
set fire TO the leaves. which in turn ignite
the underbrush. and so it goes clear up
TO the tree tops. Those rats nests, by the
way are a source Of terror to any one
in the forest The rats will usually select
q loose log on which to commence piling
limbs of trees and bits of brush, leaves
and rotten wood. This they continue for
years, and probably whole generations of
rats keep adding to the pile, for 1 have
never yet seen one that did not have fresh
leaves on its top. Some of them are six or
seven feet high and as wide at the base.
The thoroughly dried twigs burn with
fierce heat. and soon the trees around
them and the big log on which they are
built 80 tumbling down the hillside and