The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-10-06
WORST FOREST
FIRES IN YEARS
Forest Rangers Fail to Con-
quer Timber Land
Flames.
MANY THRILLING ESCAPES
Settlers Endangered by Sweep of
Flames-Record Loss in Missouia
District. w. ". Makes Trou-
BILE for Fire-Flghters.

Washington, ID. C.-Stlrring reports
are coming from forest rangers fight
ing fire in the Northwest. At head
quarters here the situation is said to
be the most critical in years. The rec.
ord summer of 1910 may have been
and timber destroyed since June. AS
fires are still raging, the loss may be
greater than in that season.
There have been many thrilling es-
capes of settlers from the sweep of
the flames; there have been a number
of daring rescues. Loss of life has
been less than usual in forest fires.
One outstanding experience of gov
eminent fire fighters occurred in Ida
no. f. G. Wilfong, who had been de-
tailed along Crooked creek was
trapped with his crew Of three men
at a point where three fires met. Get
ting out alive seemed impossible.
Their 13 horses were taken to a bunch
grass hill in the hope that they might
be saved, while the men continued TO
fight for their lives.
Their camp, provisions and clothes
were burned. Wilfong and his men
finally jumped into Selway river, and
by covering their heads with wet
blankets, pulled through. They found
all their horses, but one, alive, but the
pack saddles had been burned off their
backs.
Devastation in Missoula District.
Most damage Is being done in Idaho
and western Montana. 1t is called the.
Missoula district. 1t is the best part
of the country's timber remaining from
what was once thought were mex
haustible preserves.
1t is here the burnings ten years ago
did most damage. The areas devastat-
ed totaled nearly five millions of acres.
More than six billion board feet of lum-
Der were destroyed and the big tree
loss was $14,SS9,724 aside from the
ruin of 100000 worth of timber not
big enough to cut.
This loss may be trebled by the fires
this summer. They have been con-
slant. Thirty of then have each con
sumed everything but the rocks on
areas of one thousand acres or more
until the aggregate is already several
millions, with no break in the drought
since June and with several of the
most dangerous months to come.
Next in seriousness to lack of rain
or water from dried-up streams is the
scarcity of labor. Fire fighters cannot
be found in sufficient numbers in such
an emergency In the forest region. EN-
ployment Offices have had to be opened
In Great Falls, Billings, Anaconda,
Butte and Spokane.
Trouble From 1. w. w.
In the latter city, the L. w. w. gives
trouble to the fire rangers seeking help.
Great care is exercised to prevent any
members of this organization from get
ting into the forces sent to the forest
fire line. There they can give an i'm
mense amount of trouble and Illustrate
efforts to put out a blaze. Their ia
vorite way Is to create discomfort
among the crews as to pay and food
and induce them to quit or do as little
work as possible while the trees burn.
In spite of the care taken, some of
these plotters have got into crews
and are doing mischief. Some bosses
have been reporting that their men
are laying down on their jobs" and
have been told to discharge them In.
c~ontinently. This is done under guard
but formerly only to the edge of civil.
zation. This can be done only In case
the man has worked out his transpor
tation and cost of keep and few fail
to do this before discovery. In thai
cas- the armed guard must take hin
to the city from whence he came
Nothing can be done to him, as he has
earned his transportation and sus
tenance and must be taken back with
out expense, according to contract.
Now and then an overzealous /. w
w. gets busy too soon in the woods. Il
he has not earned his expenses, h,
may be arrested for defrauding thu
government.
Two thousand gas masks have beer
loaned by the war department to thu
forest service for trial by fire fight
ers.
While the fire situation In Oregon
and Washington Is not so serious al
In Montana and Idaho, all the crew
there are fully occupied.