Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-19
Blaze in Western Montana
Jumps Mountains and Is
, Racing Through MuIIan
GuICh Country in Idaho.
URGENT CALL SENT OUT
FOR MORE FIRE FIGHTERS
Idaho Governor May Ask
That Federal Troops Be
Called Out as in 1910
Small Towns Cut Off.

Spokane, Wash, July lS.-Racint
over mountain ridges of western
Montana and northern Idaho, forest
tires, which have been burning for
mere than week, spread destruc-
ton Friday and threatened small
towns which have been severed by
the flames from communication with
the United States forest srevice
headquarters at Missoua, Mont.
The fire near Henderson, Mont,
jumped the mountains into the Mul-
Ian Gulch, country, Idaho. where
there is said to be practically no
opportunity to catch it. The fire
near St. Regis, Mont, crossed tn.
Clark Ford river and late Friday
was spreading unchecked over
large area.
Only with favorable weather con-
ditions is there any possibility OF
controlling the flames, district forest
service officials said Should a high
wind arise, there are not enough
men in this country to stop the
flames, it was declared by Supervisor
White of the Lolo forest, in which
the area covered, by the Henderson
and St. Regis fires is located.
Costs $4,000 a Day.
1t is costing the federal forest
service $4,000 daily to fight the fires
in this district, it was said. besides
the damage done to valuable timber
and other property. Extra fire fight
ers now in the vicinity number 1854
besides the regular force. The num-
Der of men put in the forests by
private timber owners is unavailable.
The United States employment
bureau asked every newspaper in
western Montana and every avail
able place where men may be found.
asking that all possible men be
rushed to forest service offices to
meet the calls for fire fighters.
According to report received
at Newport, Wash, two or three
ranch houses in the Cocolalla creek
valley, between Morton and New
port, have been destroyed by fire.
A ranch and some live stock were
burned at Red Cove, south of Sand
Point, Idaho, and ranchers in the
vicinity of Bronx, north of Sand
Point, were asking for assistance in
fighting fire that was reported to
have burned some of their homes.
Equipment Burned.
Sixty men on duty on the Lost
Fork of Jordan creek, near Heron, /
Mont, lost their sleeping and eat
ing quarters when their camp was
burned. Government tents, bed
ding, food and equipment were de-
stroyed.
Three million feet of white pine
timber has been. destroyed by a
fire on Steamboat creek, in the
Occur d'Alene forest, according to
a report to forest officials. About
feet additional was men
aced bys the same fire.
Cost May Reach $1,000, 900.
Boise, Idaho, July 18.-The cost
Of fighting fires now raging in
Idaho and western Montana NAV
total 100000 before the season Is
over, according to information re-
ceived by Gov D. w. Davis. As a
result the .$4600 set aside out OF
the appropriation given the general
land office for fighting fires on the
public domain in central Idaho will
be wholly inadequate, he said.
IT necessary, the governor will ask
that federal troops be called out, as
was done in 1910 when much valua-
Bile timber in northern Idaho and
western Montana was destroyed by
fire.