Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-11-14

they are being opened up as rapidly as funds
will permit Of trails being built, yet there is so
much area, SO many other duties are required
of the forest officers and the funds mentioned
are SO limited and inadequate, that progress Of
such work, while keeping pace with the avail
able resources, is necessarily slow.
Before enlarging upon conditions under which
large fires begin. it might be we'll to mention
briefly a few of the forest fire terms with which
the layman frequently meets and may not I'M
derstand.
Forest fires are classified generally as crown
or top fres-those where the fire travels through
the tops Of the trees with surprising rapidity and
working disastrous results; and ground or sur
face fires, where the fire travels along the
ground, consuming soil covers or humus, brush
and litter, seedlings and often small trees, and,
consequently, doing little or no damage to ma
ture timber. Luckily, In most cases forest fires
are ground fires and it is these that are the
most quickly controlled. Yet a single top fire
can cause vastly more damage than a great
number Of ground fires. However, 1t Is general
ly under unusual conditions that crown or top
fires occur-such as high winds, very bushy or
steep country and severe drought, when such
conditions can in an incredibly short time change
a creeping ground fire into a sweeping crown
fire, leaving a path Of ruin and often death in its
wake. In brief, drought and wind are the two
dominant conditions favorable to severe fires.
The wind is always the most dreaded factor
during the fire season, it's freakishness and I'M
certainty %upsetting the best Of plans. So fierce
was the wind at the time of the destructive fires
u 1S1V Ludl "uole ulIiSiueS OF tlnD6f were up
rooted and men were forced out OF their saddles.
The fire leaped across rivers half a mile wide
at a single bound, travelling nearly a mile a min
ute at times and devouring everything in its
path. Often wide canyons were spanned as by
a great jump, the fire continuing on the oppo-
site side and leaving the canyon timber green
and unframed. Numerous instances Of the alb
solute freakishness Of the fire could be cited.
and all tend to show its very uncertainty.
In fighting a fire there is constructed around
the burning area what is called a fire line or
trench. This consists Of clearing away all debris
and brush, generally for three or four feet,
though wider when conditions allow or warrant
1t, and exposing the mineral soil for one or two
feet or wider as necessary. An ordinary ground
fire, Unframed by a strong wind, will die out on
reaching the strip of mineral soil, often as effect
ually as If the line were a stream of water.
When the fire is moving slowly and men can
stand the heat and smoke, 1t is always desirable
to build the trench close to the fire so as to
prevent It's gaining momentum as it progresses:
but where the fire is travelling quite rapidly,
tance away from the fire, and where ADEQUATE
patrol Or supervision is assured the burned ma
tertal on the inside Of the line is fired in order
to meet the advancing fire and destroy the in
fammable material in its path. Backfring, as
this is called, is generally used only II All
emergency and by experienced hands. Often, OF
course, where the fire is severe, strips of timber