The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-07-16
SITUATION IN WESTERN MON.
TANA BECOMES MORE Sc.
RioUs DAY eY DAY.
GLACIER PARK INVADED
Newly Created Reserve includes Three
Corflagrstiors Within Borders
United States Service Rushes Men
10 Many Places, and Railroads Help
In Fighting Flames.

Tho forest fire situation Is worse
II is very serious. Nothing but "A
STEADY. drcnchlng rain can bring about
material Improvement. The local
showers which fall now and then on
the forests do really more harm than
good. for the rain which they bring
IL small In quantity. while the light
ming which accompanies them is the
direct cause of many new fires Such
showers also are usually accompanied
10y wind. and this increases the fury
of what fires are already burning.
In Glacier Park.
OF the new fires reported to the
local forestry headquarters yesterday.
three are In the new Glacier National
park. Two of these are reported to he
serious. the other is under contro,
District Forester Greeley. I'm speaking
of these fires. said to "A Missoulan re-
porter: we do not know whether
there Is any money appropriated In the
national park funds for the purpose OF
fire fighting. but the fires up thers
forests and so we have sent men to
fight them. The Flathead Nationa,
forest adjoins Glacier National park
on the south. and the Blackfeet forest
X Immediately west of II. We could
not wait to make the necessary in
auiries from Washington-the situa-
tlon was too seelous--so we sent men
from the two forests mentioned to
fight the park fires; the matter Of
meeting tho expense will be settled
afterwards"
Several new fires are reported along
the line of the Great Northern rail-
road from Summit west through the
kootenai country There the railroad
people have furnished several hun
drcd men for the fighting crews. A
new fire was reported by the Northern
Pacific on It's line between Evaro and
Arlee. near Schley. and the forestry
officials sent word In the afternoon To
Major Fred Morgan, United States
agent on the Flathead reservation. re-
qucsting him to send men to the scene
of the fire Immediately.
The 10 fires which are burning In
the Lolo forest are now all well
". dfSt VI lUf-
fighters. each crew being under COM
inand OF an experienced forest service
man. Besides the men gathered locally
in the ncighborhood of each fire. and
those furnished by the railroad. nearly
40 men have been sent out from Mis-
soula.
Cabinet Forest.
Five new fires were reported yes
terday In the Cabinet forest. This Is
on the clark's fork of the Columbia.
In western Montana. adjoining the
Idaho limo. over there difficulty has
been experienced IN getting enough
men to do the fighting properly. aud
last cvenin. Assistant Forester Mar
tin left for Thompson. from which
place he will superntend the battles
being wagcd against the fires In the
Cabinet forest A disburslng officer
accompanied Mr. Martin to see that all
men temporarily employed are paid,
The several fires In the Bitter Root
forest are all reported to be under
control. and of those In the Occur
dAlene forest most are probably now
well controlled. Much help has been
rendered 10y the railroads In fighting
all the fires which are adjacent to their
rights Of way; and the Big Blackfoot
and the Mann Lumber companies have
also placed large numbers of men In
the field, not only to fight fires on
their own ground. but to help the
forestry men within the boundaries Of
the national forests.
Methods.
Asked for a few words about the
methods In fighting forest fires. Dis
trict Forester Greeley said. '"Tho
method most commonly and most sue
cessfuly used Is that called back
firing This Is fighting fire with fire.
and this Is the way 1t Is done: A trail
IL cut across the part of the fire, be-
tween 1t and the direction toward
which the wind IL blowing-that IL, on
the leeward side of the fire. This
trail Is cut right down to mineral soil.
and then fires are started at short
distances from each other on the wind
ward side of the trail-that Is, on the
side toward the forest fire.
This fire started at the trail, being
small one, can easily be prevented
from jumping the trail and compelled
to burn against the wind and toward
the big fire In this manner a wide
enough area Is burned over to prevent
the forest fire from going any farther
Where the ground is comparatively
open and not too rocky, plow IL used
to excellent advantage In making such
a trail as | have described This