The Red Cloud chief., 1913-11-13


they are being opened up az rapidly as funds
VIII 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 go limited and inadequate, that progress Of
such work. while keeping pace with the avail.
able resources, Is necessarily slow.
Before enlargng upon conditions under which
large fires begin. 1t might be well to mention
briefly few OF the forest fire terms with which
the layman frequently meets and may not un.
derstand.
Forest Ares 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 humus brush
and litter. seedlings and often small trees, and
consequently. doing little 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 great
number OF ground fres. However, II 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
creeping ground fire into a sweeping crown
hre. 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
certainty upsetting the best OF plans SO fierce
was the wind at the time OF the destructive fires
OF 1910 that whole hillsdes OF timber were up.
rooted and men were forced out OF their saddles
The fire leaped across rivers half a mile wide
at single bound. travelling nearly a mile a min.
ute at times and devouring 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 unharmed Numerous instances OF the alb.
solute freakishness Of the fire could be cited
and all tend to show its very uncertainty
In lighting a fire there Is constructed around
the burning area what Is called a fre 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
II, and exposing the mineral soil for one or two
feet or wider as necessary. An ordinary ground
nre, unnamed by strong wind will die out on
reaching the strip OF mineral SOIL often as effect.
ually as II the line were a stream Of water
When the fre is moving slowly and men can
stand the heat and smoke. II is always desirable
to build the trench close to the hre SO as to
prevent its gaining momentum as II progresses;
but where the hre Is travelling quite rapidly,
often the fire line has to be placed some dis.
0nce away from the fire, and where adequate
patrol or supervision Is assured the burned ma.
terial on the inside OF the line Is fired In order
20 meet the advancing FIRE and destroy the In.
nammabe material In its path Backfring, as
this 10 called Is generally used only in an
emergency and by experienced hands Often of
course where the fre 10 severe. strips Of timber