Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-09-09

attack fires in their incipiency." After /
pointing out the value of lookouts, tele-
phone or signal communication and va
rious methods of patrol, the Forester
tells how to fight fires, as follows:
1.-The principles of fighting forest
fires are essentially the same as those
recognized in fighting fires in cities.
The following are of first Importance:
% Quick arrival at the fire; (2) an ade-
quate force; (3) proper equipment; (4) |
thorough organization of the fighting |
crew, and 90 skill in attacking and
fighting fires. Quick access to fires is
accomplished through the work of SUI
pervision and patrol in discovering fires
before they have gained much Roadway,
and by a well-developed system of
communication through the forest by
roads and trails.
"a small fire may be put out by one
man, but in extensive forests several
hours may pass before the fire can be
reached. 1t is important to secure an
adequate force of men and to get them
to the fire quickly. In well-organized
system of patrol the guard who dis
covers a fire communicates quickly to
other guards and to headquarters by
telephone, signal, or other means, and
indicates the number of men he needs.
The efficiency of the fire-fghting
crew depends very largely on their
skill and experience, and particularly
on the skill and experience of the man
directing the work. 1t is not only
question of knowledge of how to as
sign each man where his work will be
most effective, but there must be judg-
ment exercised in determining the gen
eral method of attack. The character
of the fire, the character of the forest,
the condition of the atmosphere; the
strength and direction of the wind, the
rapidity with which the fire is running,
and many other points have to be taken
into consideration.
After describing how surface fires
may be put out by beating, by throwing
sand or loose earth, and by other
methods, the account goes on:
Sometimes the front of the fire is so
fierce that it is impossible to meet it
directly. One method under such cir
cumstances is to direct the course of
the fire. The attack is made on the
sides near the front, separating the
forward portion of the fire from the
main wings. A part of the crew at
tacks the forward part and others run
down and eXtinguish the wings. The
front of the fire, attacked from the
sides, is forced gradually and constant
ly into a narrower path. Usually the
front can be directed toward some
cleared space, road, pond, stream,
. swamp, or fire line, when it will be
t checked enough to admit of a direct
front attack Sometimes by this plan
5 the front may be rapidly narrowed by
2 working from the sides, until it is at
' last entirely eXtinguished. The plan of
giving direction to the course of the
D fire has often been successfully carried
= out when the fighting crew is too small
= for direct attack.
= when fires gain such Roadway that
s it is impossible to stop them by direct
t attack, no matter how numerous and
o efficient the crew or complete the
equipment for fighting, back firing be-
comes the only means of stopping the
f fire. 1t should, however, be used only
O when it is absolutely necessary. One
C of the commonest mistakes in fighting
: fires is to overestmate the rapidity OF
a the fire and the difficulty of putting il
o out. A forest fire is always brighten.
). ing spectacle, particularly if it is
IL sweeping in the direction of ones owl
N property. Men often become excited
e and start back fires when it is entirely
,e unnecessary. Back firing necessarily
Is involves deliberately burning over prop
III erty. When this belongs to another
NJ person and ones own forest seems il
ct danger, there is a great temptation t.
At sacrifice it.
~ ''If it is found that back fire i
I'd necessary, favorable point is selected
directly in front of the fire, from whicl
is to set the new fire This must be
n point where it is safe to start bacl
I'd fire, such as a road fire line, stream. o
te swamp. The leaves are ignited a
~ points five feet to a rod apart for
nd distance not greater than the estimate
f. width of the head of the fire. Thes
as small fires gradually meet and form
in continuous line, eating back against tn
es wind. A part of the crew is statione
of across the road or other break frol
H. which the back fire is started and pit
out at once the small fires which ma
nv result from the sparks blown over frol
oh the back fire.
a ''The meeting of the two fires stoI
l. at once the head of the main fire IL