Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1918-01-03

majority Of rural districts by the alb
sence of regular fire departments and
other FIRE fighting organizations. The
farmer, therefore, is necessarily thrcwn
upon his own resources for the means
Of preservation, aud upon him rests the
double responsibility of first eliminat.
Ing all possible fire hazards and also OF
having FIRE extinguishing apparatus
ready for immediate use should . fire
occur 4
Precautions, Against Fire.
Dry grass along the roadsides and
in the pasture fields is serious menace
to ripe crop of grain. A spark from
match or passing train or emitted
from the exhaust Of an automobile en-
CINE, or lighted cigarette or cigar
stab thrown carelessly aside, can easily
start fire which, with surroundings
lavoring its spreading, will result IN
incalculable loss and destroy a guam
| tity Of grain sufficient to furnish an
entire community with food Where
conditions permit, burrows should be
plowed between the grass and the grain.
If this is not possible, the grass should
be moved close enough to afford a
check to the spreading of fire.
4 New Hazard.
A comparatively new danger to grain
| fields is white-hot carbon discharged
from the exhausts of tractors when
pulling uphill or through heavy part
of the crop. Every exhaust should be
protected by fine wire screen, which
| should be- renewed at least once a
month, as the heat becomes SO intense
as to quickly destroy it's effectiveness.
When tue grain has been threshed
and piled in the field, it should be pro-
| tected by sufficient number of fur
| rows to prevent its destruction from the
burning of stubble
Danger From Threshers.
The time of one of the great dangers
to grain and grain fields in the North
west is during the threshing season
| and is caused by careless methods in
threshing and piling the threshed grain
too near to the straw stacks. Every
threshing machine by the very reason
Of its operations collects certain
| amount of smut or dust, which is high
ly inflammable and subject to explo-
sion, and the farmer should insist that
before a threshing machine commences
operations on his settings the machine
be thoroughly cleaned out, flues exam
med and water tanks kept full. If
possible, the straw stacks should be re.
moved every night, but where this ID
j not possible then under no circum.
| stances should the threshed grain be
| piled 50 close to the thresher or the
straw stacks that the burning Of either
| would endanger the grain. Every
| threshing machine owner or operator
| should be required to have good sized
chemical tank with its equipment to
Immediately extinguish small fires.
If not sufficiently cured, and whether
baled OF loose, hay will generate gases
which are susceptible of spontaneous
| combustion unless the barn is suffi.
| GENTLY ventilated to carry off these
gases. Every particule of dry grass
| and all litter and rubbish should b.
| removed from barnyards and from all
buildings on the farm. Under no cir
| crmstances should smoking or the use
CT matches be permitted around barn
buildings, while candles or any other
open flame should be strictly prohib-
| tied and only closed lanterns or cleo
| trio pocket flashlights allowed in or
around barns carrying any quantity Of
hay.
Fighting Fires.
The great difference between the
trained fire department and the volun.
/ teer organization is the fact that an
| experienced fireman knows exactly
what to do in answering an alarm Of
| fire and has his apparatus and equip.
ment in such condition as to give the
best service in the shortest possible
time. Even volunteer organization,
however, is better than none at all, and
the farmers in every community should
Immediately organize and secure fire
| fighting apparatus for the purpose Of
/ fire protection and to extinguish any
fire that may happen in their section.
| Every such community should select
| the necessary number of men to act as
| chiefs and to take charge OF the forces
| fighting fire. These chiefs could ar.
range for certain signals and alarms to
| be given to denote fire in any locality,
| and also where shovels, wet sacks, chem
ical extinguishers and other apparatus
and utensils are to be obtained at the
shortest notice.
Water in many cases is not available.
but chemical fire extinguisher, with
which each farmer should be provided,
will accomplish more in putting out
| fire which has not assumed large pro-
portions, than any other means.
Where the district will permit, an
automobile or motor truck can be
equipped with chemical tanks, and these
will prove more effective than river
water improperly or unskillfully ap.
Piled In several sections of the State
this has already been done, and these
machines, 80 equipped, have demon
strated great efficiency.
The Vital Hour.
This is the hour of patriotism, in