Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-07-24
FOREST FIRES
SH|F 7 WITH WIND
AND SPARE TOWN
Fighters Look for Aid
From Light Rainfall
and Drop in Heat.
SEVERAL bLAzES BREAK
LINES AND STRETCH OUT

Missoula. July 23-A slight veering
of the wind blowing over the little town
of st. Regis, late today, gave the forest
fighters in that region a longed for
chance and. late toight, fire reports to
forest service headquarters here were
to the effect that the danger had passed,
at least temporarily from the threatened
village. Stark. another village, is in the
same situation, the danger being from
the Niger gulch fire.
While. on the whole, the situation.
today. was slightly more favorable than
Yesterday. conditions there about district
remain critical and high wind may de-
velop a big blow up within a few
hours, forestry officials say. Should
such a wind come, the situation is such
that a worse conflagration than the one
in 1910. when scores of fighters lost
their lives, might be expected.
Earlier in the day, the Henderson
fire, sweeping down toward st. Regis
from the northwest cut off traffic on the
main highway leading west from the
town. This fire. however. was checked
By the yaering of the wind and at l 30,
tonight. Supervisor W. w White. of the
Lolo forest. in which st. Regis is located.
said that traffic along the roadway had
been resumed.
Fire Circles 80 Miles.
The fire which is 80 miles in circum-
ference. had meanwhile gone over Null
Ian gulch to the high road. and then
the wind changed. The eastern end Of
this fire, which is burning northward
of the town. is not at all under control,
and $50 men are fighting the fire there,
with Ranger Frank Haun in charge.
4 new fire, which was discovered al
6 o'clock, this evening, on Fish creek
in the Loio forest. was reported already
to have grown to a circumference of
three miles and to have spread into
green timber on Montana creek. A crew
Of fighters from Lolo Hot Springs will
go to the fire in the morning.
SawmIls In Peril.
The Cold creek fire, south of st.
Regis. has spread to tie south, reach
ing along Little Joe creek and en-
dangering sawmills and a large quantity
of cut lumber there.
The big Rattlesnake fire. north Of
Missoula. which has caused great dam
age and considerable effort for nearly
two weeks past, is again reported yirtu
ally under control on all sides except TO
the east.
Possibility was indicated, tonight. that
the Twin creek and Cold creek fires may
unite and foresters ere working hard to
prevent this.
\ small fire was also reported, to-
night, as having broken out on 1oungs
creek, tributary to the south fork of
the Flathead river.
100000 Acers Burned Over.
The Gold creek control lines were lost
during the high winds of yesterday. altho
the fire fighters managed to hold the
eastern end Reinforcements arrived, last
night. from Spokane aud large crews are
now in the field contesting the advance
of this fire.
\ total Of 100000 acres of land,
estimated by forest service officials to-
day, have been burned over during the
present season. 250.o00 acres in Mon
tana and 10000 acres in Idaho. The
damage in Montana was estimated at
S325. 900 and it was said 30,0O0,O0O feet
of timber had been destroyed In this
state. with 50OOO,OO0 to 75,OOO.OO feet
destroyed in Idaho.
Flames Run Six Miles.
The worst outbreak reported was
from Hughes creek, on the west fork
of the Bitter Root river This fire ran
six miles yesterday, burning over many
acres of timber. A new fire was report
Continued on Page Two).