Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-11-28

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 required
of the forest officers and the funds mentioned
limited and inadequate, that progress OF
such work. while keeping pace with the avail
able resources, is necessarily slow.
Before enlargtng upon conditions under which
large fires begin 1t might be we'll to mention
briefly few of the forest fire terms with which
the layman frequently meets and may not
derstand.
Forest fires are classified generally as crown
or top lres-those where the fire travels through
the tops of the trees with surprising rapdity and
working disastrous results: and ground or sur
face fires, where the fire travels along the
ground. consuming soil covers 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 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 high winds, very bushy or
steep country and severe drought. when such
conditions can in incredibly short time change
q creeping ground fire into a sweeping crown
fire, leaving 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, its freakshness and un-
certainty upsetttng the best or plans SO fierce
was the wind at the time OF the destructive fires
of 1910 that whole hillsides Of timber were up
rooted and men were forced out of their saddles
The fire leaped across rivers half mile wide
at single bound, travelling nearly a mile a min
ute at times and deyouring everything In its
path. Often wide canyons were spanned as by
great jump, the FIRE continuing on the oppo-
site side and leaving the canyon timber green
and unframed. Numerous instances OF the abb
solute freakishness OF the hre could be cited
and all tend to show its very uncertainty
In fighting q FIRE there is constructed around
the burning area what is called a IRE 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 . strong wind. will die out on
reaching the strip Of mineral SOIL often as effect
ually as If the line a stream OF water.
When the fire is moving slowly and men can
stand the heat and smoke it is always desirable
TO build the trench close to the fire 30 as to
prevent its gaining momentum as 1t progresses
but where the fire is travelling quite rapidly
often the fire line has to be placed some dis
lance away from the fire. and where adequate
patrol or supervision is assured the burned ma
terial on the inside OF the line is fred in order
to meet the advancing fire and destroy the in.
hammable material in its path. Backnring. as
this IL called. is generally used only in an
emergency and by experienced hands Often, OF
course where the IRE ia severe strips Of timber