The Washington times., 1901-10-27
FIGHTING FOREST FIRES.
Government Policemen Who Guard
Western Timber Reserves,
Elaborate System of Protection Ar
ranged to Prevent the Spread of
Any Chance BIaze-Awe-Inspirin
Scenes After the Flames Advance.


Scenes After the Flames Advance.
Few people know that in farsway Cali
fornia at all hours of the day and night
a force OF Government policemen are on
dnty, walking regular beats In the heart
OF the mountain forests as they would
IN populous city. making occasional ar
rests and regular reports to HEADQUARTERS.
quite IN the style OF the modern police
man In many cases these beats are 90
isolated and lonesome that the policeman
does not see "A soul for weeks save the
men on the adjoining beats. But 1t Is not
to preserve order that the National Gov
ernment employs this force and pays
them' but TO guard against forest fires,
which have yearly been increasing In
number and destructiyeaGss Millions OF
feet of valuable timber are burned every
year as the result of the carelessness of
hunting parties in leaving camp fire en-
oers behind them. Drought has followed
drought until tho whole Sierra Madre
country seems likely to burn up. and not
only is there an immense loss in standing
timber. but the removal Of the trees al
lows the springs and creeks which feed
the rivers 20 dry up. the winter SHOWS
are not conserved for irrigation and the
The Government has endeavored for
many years to control these destructive
forest fires, but during the fall of 1899 and
1900 the situation became so alarming that
1t took up the matter much more energet-
icaiiy' and systematically than ever be-
fore The ranges are now subdivided into
smaller districts than formerly, and each
dlstrlct Is under direct supervision of a
superintendent or warden. Each warden
mas under him deputy wardens or ran
gers. who patrol smaller sub-districts sew
erai times day during the summer and
iail months and report regularly to the
warden under whom they are working.
GT this patrol service the Government
pays its men g a day and expenses. The
work, aside from the actual fighting of
fires, is not so very hard, but it soon be-
comes very meBot0nOus, and It Is some
times very hazardous. 1t consists in pa
trolling given lat several times a day.
The patrolmen are clothed with police
power and have orders to arrest anyone
who has done anything that would cause
a blaze, or who has in any way disregard
ed the regulations of the forest reserve
commission.
1t is also the rangers duty to keep a
sharp lookout for incipient bIazes; to ex-
tinguish them, if he can, alone; and. il
not, to report the fire to his superior and
the nearest known help in that particular
neighborhood
There are various causes for the forest
fires. Some are started by accident, some
by thoughtlessness. and some by delib-
crate. criminal carelessness. By far the
most frequent cause is the smoldering
carelessly left by hunters and :
al frr-
meanor to leave any embers from
which the next rising breeze
might fan into a flame. The matter of
taking timber unlawfully from the forest
reserve also comes under the direct at
tention OF the forest rangers. With the
improved facilities now being established
all fres will be reported more quickly.
trails are now being made over
many slopes which have heretofore been
almost impossible, or along which a pa
trolman could at best make but very
slow progress
There are few grander or more awe
sights than that afforded by a
forest fire at night A few
years ago one of the fiercest of the Sierra
Madre fires ragged in the vicinity of the
Cucamonga Mountains. This fire had its
origin in the operations of some lumber
men, down near the foot of the mountain
It mad gotten beyond their control late
n the evening When II was first started
there was scarcely breeze astir but be-
fore it had burned long the superheated
currents of air created such a gale that
the hungry flames were carried right up
On top the steep mountain slope with al
most incredible rapidity, until there was
1ne continuous flame several miles long
extending nearly to the top of the noun
tam The night was quite dark, and the
beautiful reflections thrown back from
he clouds and sky were something never
20 be forgotten.
On another occasion a hunting party in
. lad
one of these tremendous out
lursts OF flame which ragged for miles
Deer canyon Is long. uneven rocky
.orge which extends nearly to the top OF
Suearnonga peak Beginning at the foot
HIS it Is quite wide. but 1T gradually
leepens until its upper part is quite shad-
slopes of this canyon, from brink to ridge.
we're densely wooded with gigantic pine.
'edwood. and other varieties OF large
loufitaln , 1. trees: The underground also
month OF September. and at that time
Deer canyon offered great Inducements to
hunting camping parties. as there was ey-
Fry natural advantage-shade, spring
water, variety OF mountain and plain and
.bundance of game. As it's name Implies
ieer were quite plentiful and 1t was not
IN uncommon thing at that time for the
more daring hunter to bring in a noun
tain lion or grizzly bear
A member OF the hunting party. who
,ook a hand in the fight on the fire. thus
Our party had gone into camp well I'D
the canyon. and had been thoroughly en-
Toying Locating the fayorite haunts Of
some of the larger game when on the
evening OF the fourth day there broke out
ore OF the largest and most destructive
lres that ever invaded that part OF the
government forest reserve. This fire
broke out near the mouth of the canyon.
1t originated from a campfire left by a
party similar to ours who had gone
iway the day before. Our party had Just
ramp, at about o'clock in the after
loon. We were all tired, hot, and hum
sry, and were making hasty preparations
or strengthening the inner man, when
beginning to roll up over the hilltops At
irst 1t seemed to rise like dark pillars
Il clouds toward the sky, but by the
ime We had finished our meal the col
INNS kept spreading wider and wider.
md to our disnay the kindling breeze set
n toward US. thus driving the head fires
light in our direction.
THE nearest patrolman to this locality
yas the Ontario ranger. but he was at
hat tine fighting an iucipient fire on the
ther side OF the range in Santana can
on. II so happened that the Azusa ran
er. whose beat was adjoining this, saw
he fire about the time ii first started.
fastening to the scene at once. he sue
eeded in summonine quite large cor
any of men to battle with the fiery el--
lent BY the time this force had arrived
he fire had made considerable headway
nd the heat WAS so Intense that II was
lmost impossible to get nearer than a
uarter of a mile from the flames The
1ar Of these as they leaped from pine to
inc was almost deafening. Their restnous
mbs. bark. and foliage could withstand
ie fury of such flames but for an instant.
nd when the head fires had passed on to
lrther destruction all that was left was
le great. blackrned trunk. with out
retched arms-a charred mockery OF
hat little before was one of natures
lost beautiful bowers
1T took all that night and most of the
ext day to bring that fire under control.
wen then K could not have been accom-