The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1917-04-20
OUR FOREST FIRES
Work of Uncle Sam In Preventing
and Fighting Them.
RIGID RULES FOR CAMPERS.

The Permit System Has Been a Big
Factor In Checking the Destruction of
Trees--How the Alert Rangers Dis-
cover ard Locate : Blaze.
Eternal vigilance is the watchword
States in preventing and fighting for
est fires. August and September are
rated the critical time when forest
fires are most numerous and disas-
trous. These are the driest months of
the year on the Pacific slope, and in
consequence the grass and brush In
the forests are tinder dry and offer the
least resistance to fire.
Throughout the dry season, which
begins about April and extends through
the early part of November, accord
ing to the latitude Of the differ
emit states, the forest service of the
department Of agriculture increases its
working forces until 1t has a host of
men throughout the ranges ever on the
alert for fires. These additional forces
augment the regular range force, which
Ia ON duty the year round.
High up on some lonely peak, far
from the centers Of civilization, stands
a high watchtower that daily is the
post of a forest ranger, who, with pow
erful binoculars and telescope, is on the
lookout for the thin, telltale banner Of
vapor that tells its own story of the
fight ahead to the watcher. On other
peaks there are similar watchtowers,
and the watchers here, too, may mark
the rising column Of smudge from afar.
All report to a central station. where
the fire is accurately located
At each watchtower there la q cir
cular map of the district within the
view Of that particular tower. By tr-
angulation on this map the watcher
notes the direction Of the fire from his
tower The other watchtowers do the
same, and all report to the central sta
tion these various directions. Where
the triangulation lines meet on the
great map of the central station there
the fire is. 1t Is a simple and yet a
most effective method. The fire locat-
ed, the fighting forces Of the district
are modified and the battle begins
1t may be short, and 1t may last for
weeks, but it is fought none the less
relentlessly.
Stretching in every direction from
the central ranger stations are miles
Of telephone and telegraph wires that
are used In time of danger to mobilize
the fire fighting army. Once the call
has been made they come from every
direction prepared to combat the COM
mon enemy. Frequently these fires
occur within a short distance from
small villages and towns, and then the
problem becomes more complex, In that
the homes, once afiame, are eXtinguish-
ed with greater difficulty.
Besides the use of the telephone and
telegraph, the forest rangers also use
the heliograpb, with which they are
able to send flashes Of sunlight many
miles to bring aid These are where
telephone and telegraph lines are not
yet available. At centrally located de-
pots are caches Of dynamite that are
also used for signaling purposes. At
fire fighting purposes and highly spe-
cialized apparatus
Rigid rules have been laid down for
persons camping In the woods, and the
fire permit system has lessened the
number Of fires very appreciably. The
greatest loss comes from the negli-
| gent pleasure seekers, who drop light
ed matches In the grass and low
brush. The fire permit cards can be
obtained either at the general Office or
of any ranger and there Is no expense
attached to 1t. The good accomplish
ed by this arrangement appears in the
| fact that when a fire breaks out 1t Is
| possible to know who had a permit to
build a fire In that territory, for q
close record is kept of the permits is
sued.
The fire permit card authorizes the
holder to build camp fires on the ma
tional forest land between certain
dates, provided the following require
ments are complied with: To build
small fires only, to build fires In the
open and not against a tree or log OIL
within twenty feet Of standing brush
to scrape away all leaves and trash
from around the fire, never to leave 8
fire unattended, even for short time
without first extinguishing 1t; to ex
tinguish fires first use water, then
cover with dirt; bonfres are not al
lowed. 1t is further provided thai
when camp is moved the ground must
be left in a clean and sanitary condi
tion.-New York Tribune.