Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-08-17
MILLION SPENT
IN F|CH 7 ING
FOREST BLAZES
382, ,32l Acres in Idaho
and Montana Burned
Over This Season.

Mss0nla. Aug 16.--A million dollars
have been spent this season for fight
ing fires in northern Idaho and Montana,
according TO figures announced here,
today, by Assistant District Forester
Glen \. Smith, in charge OF fire fight
ing. The forest service acreage burned
over is 3S2,321 acres. of which the
greater part is located in the Lolo for
est, while the Selway, Clearwater and
Nez Perce are close behind. In the Lolo
forest. which includes that section of
the Ceour d'Alenc valley located in
Montana, 65,7i4 acres have been burn
ed over up to the time the report was
filed at district headquarters. In the
Missoula forest, 32.7S2 acres have been
burned over and in the Bitter Root,
$4,000 acres The acreage burned over
in the Selway and Clearwater forest was
approximately the same as in the Ioio
when the report was received, but it
has been increased considerably during
the past few days.
During the first 10 days Of August,
379 new fires were reported in the dis
trict, according to the record. The
total number of fires this season up to
date has been 1,472. There are now 129
dangerous liFfS HbStlS III lHt
Occur dAlene.
Situation Getting Worse.
Reports from Selway and Nez Perce
forests in Idaho and the Bitter Root
forest in western Montana indicate to
district headquarters official that the
fire situation is growing more danger
Gus.
Crown fires which developed in the
Selway forest are sweeping along the
Rockaway branch of the Clearwater
river for 30 miles
Confirmation of the loss OF 100 sheep
in the Gospel creek fire on the Nez
Perez forest comes from Charles Din
head. of Lewiston, Ida, owner of the
herd.
Both the Gospel and Mallard creek
fires are worse. The Nez Perce forest
has oJ fires covering 1900 acres.
Many new fires have sprung up in
the Powell country. across the noun
tains tai from Lolo Hot Springs, while
conditions in the Salmon mountain coun-
try are unusually serious. Other new
fires are burning on Petty creek and
Graves creek the origin of which Off
Gals are unable to explain. 1t is sus-
pected incendiarism have had something
to do with the repeated new blazes
Supervisor Parker of the Missoula
forest today was making plaI<s for
sending crews to the south fork of the
Flathead where two new blazes are
spreading rapidly
Crews Going In Today.
The Lolo forest reported two new
fires yesterday. One is on Fades creek,
while the other is located on Owl creek.
The Missoula forest has fire in the
Spread mountain region near Ovando.
Twenty men will be sent to it tomorrow.
The supervisor Of the Missoula forest
is making arrangements for tho sending
Of crews in on the south fork Of Flat
head forest, where new fires are spread
ing rapidly. one on Calf creek. the other
on Clooth creek.
The Kooskia forest has several new
lightning fires, as result of thunder
storms during the week The Cool creek
fire there is especially dangerous, al
tho it has burned over 800 acres. The
Big creek blaze is still spreading but
at the present time is not burning any
valuable timber stands,