Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-13
OF FOREST FIRES
Mysterious Power Almost Beyond
Belief Of Men Of Experience.
THEY DO THE UNEXPECTED
Less Spectacular, but More Dangerous
Than a Prairie Fire-ImpOsHi-
biIIty OF Flames drumming
Down n Man"

How Is It possible for a forest fire TO
work such immense loss to property ana
cause such a terrible loss Of life as did the
recent blaze In the woods Of CansdaF TO
one not versed in the great mysteries OF
the forest It seems almost beyond better,
Forest fires are not thoroughly understood
even by those who have had experience
with them all their lives:
Forest fires are terrible because they are
mysterious. They never do what Is ex-
pected Of them. A prairie fire is more
spectacular. but less dangerous. Given a
certain set OF circumstances and a prairie
fire and the plainsman knows exactly how
to outwit the flames. City firemen know
exactly how to prevent the spread OF
flames in a group OF buildings, and even
at sea sailors have certain well established
rules for fighting q fire in the cargo. But
there is no successful means of fighting
a forest fire. simply because there is no
way Of telling what the fire will do next
That is why it is the most terrible fire
known.
News dispatches relating to the big fire
in British Columbia explained that at times
tho fire moved SO slowly that a man could
outrun It. This statement is absurd and
was doubtless written under stress OF great
excitement. A man cannot only outrun
any forest fire, but he can out walk the
swiftest OF them. A baby cannot outcrawl
a forest fire, but the fleetest sprinter is
as likely to fall a victim to the flames.
That's the mystery Of It. The forest fire
is not honest. 1t is one Of the most treach-
erors elements known and it battles its
victims by strategy.
Pace of the Flames.
While the loss of life in the Canadian
fire was estimated as high as 300, 1t is
doubtless true that rot one person was
overtaken by the flames that 'roared down
upon him" A fire in the woods does not
roar down upon people. Its dense clouds
of smoke first suffocates a victim and then
the flames sneak down upon him." slowly
but irTesistibly.
The surface fire slowly crackles in the
brush, moving very slowly over the green
places and more rapidly through the dry
underbrush. There is a small flame and
an immense cloud Of smoke. This is true
because the proportion of green fuel is
greater than the dry, even in the driest
season. The fire does not leave "the ground
bare behind it." 1t burns away the dry
brush and leaves the blackened trees stand
ing. The flames are rapid IL they move a
few miles in twenty-four hours, so 1t can
be readily seen how absurd It is TO say the
FLAMES swept through the forest like a
race horse
1t is the subterranean fire that causes
the damage and outwits the woodsman.
On the surface the fire would naturally
move with the wind. Under ground 1t is
as likely to move directly against the wind.
Men who live in the woods often see a fire
approach to within q half mile OF their
homes. They take wet sacks or blankets
and go out and beat out the fire. When
they return home they find their house in
ashes. The fire had carried a half mile
against the wind. To them It is a mystery
because they do not understand the work
ings of the flames, but, in fact, the reason
is simple enough.
Cushion of InnamniabIe Material
Pine trees have for centuries deposited
their carpet of brown needles on the earth.
These needles. filled with pitch, are highly
~inflammable. Season after season they
drop. The wind mixes them with sand and
a sort OF false earth is formed. over this
vegetation grows. In a few centuries the
pine needles, leaves and sand form a cush-
ION sometimes three or four feet deep above
the soil.
Rains moisten the surface, but the cush-
ion, a couple OF feet under the surface. is
? as dry as finder. When a fire is started
q this under stratum is ignited. The fire
moves along the line of least resistance
and naturally starts off underground in r
line parallel with the surface, following the
dry stratum underneath the moist layers
= on top. This substratum Of dry pine
needles. leaves and dust causes but little
smoke. Thus while men sre beating out
4 the comparatively harmless blaze In the
= brush on the surface the dangerous and
e deadly fire is hurrying along directly under
s their feet. but it leaves not the slightest
I trace OF its presence.
h This under fire does not break through
. to the surface because above It there is a
moist layer through which it cannot break.
Thus it runs along untiI 1t comes to a
5 house. The house has protected the earth
from the rain and the cushion-like soil
under it is dry. Hero. of course. the fire
I comes TO the surface. That is why a fire
will dart under the earth and make straight
= for a house with an aim that II almost
uncanny. Perhaps the fire viii break out
under the house when all the occupants
are asleep and unconscious OF the fact that
the fire is within a mile of them.
Another source OF danger is the fact that
while men are fighting the fire before then
II will sneak around behind them and hem
them in. They are working desperately
and do not notice their predlcament until
too late. Walled i'm by a circle OF flame
and enveloped by a cloud of smoke, a mar
"a does not retain his consciousness for a VERY
long time. He sinks down unconsciou.
"A and is often dead long before the fir,
10 reaches him. However. a forest fire never
n ran a man down.
! Sparks from passing locomotives star
many fires, often causing immense loss t.
,e the railroads. Trains are frequently
,r obliged to run through miles Of fire. will
,e the flames nibbling at the ties and heating
the rails. IL is an uncomfortable feelInI
,s that the tenderfoot gets when the crey
comes through the train on a hot Angus
day, closing the windows and transoms
n pulling down the blinds and asking tn
as passengers to stand in the center OF tn
Is car while the train dashes wildly througI
a fire. The car is filled with smoke an
becomes stiflingly hot. The engine drive
IL opens his throttle as wide as possible an
the train plunges blindly through. TIL
happiest moment in the life OF the pas
sensers Is when the train finally emerge
Fpta fba aIaor aaufuhf a-aNr