The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

vision rangers first duty,,Is 10 see tina.
these spots are carefully mapped and
protected.
Then, marked plainly on the fire
maps. are shown the methods by ,
which a fire may best be fought.
Running here and there through the
danger zone on the map will he seer
the black line indicating burned or
cleared fire lines, about n timber sale,
a slash or an experimental plot. or
the line may indicate an advance prep
aration in the form OF considerable
inhammable material which may be
ignited and made to serve as n back
fire. thus stopping the great fire itself
with a foe of It's kind.
One of the preventive measures
against campers fires consists in es-
t%ablishing a campers register. This
Is maintained at M Of the range
stations on the main travelled route
to the favored resort Of the campers.
The fact that the anne and addresses
of campers are registered with the
ranger plays an important part in pre-
venting forest fires.
Each ranger has his W field to
cover. He has his watch towers. in
struments and telephones. so that he
Is in a position TO give an instant
alarm in case of fire. The rangers
district Is cut up into natural fire pro-
tective units by being divided into
patrol divisions. The main idea is to
marshal the fighting forces in the
quickest and most effective way pos
sible. The implement caches are more
or less permanent and a complete
knowledge Of their location is pos
sessed by every ranger.
Early In the fire fighting work
II was found hat ease OF communica-
ton was one Of the most important
things In order that the lookOuts. the
patrol men and the rangers might
locate each other In the shortest pos
sible time. This Is the way one
division in Idaho is watched: The
headquarters camp OF h patrolman
In equipped with a telephone which Is
connected with the headquarters of
the district ranger, and also with a
lookout commanding the entire divi-
sion. The patrolman has W fixed
| routes. one down the country and the
other IN, and at the end Of each route
he Is required to report by telephone,
He reports each morning to both
the district ranger and the lookout
as to which route he Intends to fol-
low. In consequence Of this plan, he
Is out Of communication with them
for only a short while each day, and
even then both the district ranger and
the lookout can tell where he is at
any time. In this division many fires
have been extinguished by patrolmen
before they gained Roadway.
The control system when completed
includes the determination of h va
rious divisions. the assignment OF the
patrol routes and patrol headquarters,
the installation Of means OF
cation and the selection OF sites and
equipment for the lookout stations.
When all these details nave been at
tended to by the Government experts
in charge the next step Is to arrange
for fighting the fires.
Each patrolman when n fire breaks
out becomes n IRE fighter, The patrol
men, together with the Are crew. i'm
| provement crew, reconnaissance crew
or military troops Of the United. States
that may he stationed In the imme-
date vicinity make up the regular
force Of fire fighters. 1t IL the duty
of the district ranger to figure out In
advance the number of regular men
he will be able to assemble at a GER
tain point In a sufficiently short time
10 check a forest fire in It's incipiency.
II can readily be seer that II every
patrolman or regular left his own d.
vision Immediately and without orders
.ud vno1a q has line for every fire