The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-04
FIRE COMPANIES
AMONG FARMERS
Become Members OF Voluntary
Organizations With All the
Necessary Equipment.
PLANNED BY COUNTY AGENTS
Estimated That Quarter of Miller
Dollars Worth of Grain Was
Saved Last Year-Wider Field
of Usefulness Seen.

a smoke ,smudge on the horizon In
the country no longer means certain
and complete loss.
At least, this is true in 1900 square
miles of California where G,000 farm.
ers have enlisted in rural fire com
panies, equipped with trailer Are
carts, stationed at strategic points and
ready to meet the fire peril when it
appears. The Plan was developed by
the county agricultural agents, in CO.
operation with the forest service Of
the United States department of agri-
culture, and il is estimated that
quarter of q 1IfTlff0h dollars worth of
grain was saved through it during the
summer of 1918. The plan was de-
vised for the purpose of reducing
losses in grain fields and on grass
ranges, but department of agriculture
specialists believe it might be given a
much wider field of usefulness in the
protection of practically all kinds Of
farm property from loss by fire.
Under tie California plan the
county farm bureau becomes the cen
trail fire protection agency. A local
fire company WAS formed ut each COM
munity farm bureau center, and the
members pledged themselves to re-
Sp0nd instantly to the call of fire.
Each community elected fire boss, ;"
who was commissioned as deputy
state fire warden, and fire dis
patcher.' whose duty it is to remain
at the telephone during fires to give
information and obtain help.
Traiiers Carry Equipment.
IN most of the communities u two
wheeled trailer fire cart was obtained.
These trailcrs are of simple construc
ton may be attached to any automo-
bile, and are completely equipped with
Chemical fire extinguishers. water
cans filed with wet sacks. with forks
and Shovcls, and with a container for
drinking water for the fire fighters
The trailer is kept at the cross roads
or other most accessible point in the
community, and the first automobile
passing on the way TO a fire bitches
to the trailer and takes it along. Out
of the 3GG rural fire companies organ
lied in California; last year, PSI are
equipped with such trailers.
| The saving OF quarter of a million
dollars in single season in this
limited territory is an indication Of
what might result if the plan were
generally adopted in communities
where conditions are such as to make
| it workable There are some rural
communities where such a plan might
Pnot be advisable. but in the majority,
perhaps, il would be workable. Prior
| to the extensive spread of the farm
bureau system, which came primarily
as war measure during 1917 and
1918, it would not have been possible,
since it is necessarily a cooperative
community activity. But the farm
bureau sysfenl.-has come to stay, and
| it affords the sort of cooperative eff
fort CO which community fire protec-
/ tion may we'll he q part.
Similar Need Elsewhere.
Throughout a dozen or more states
/ there exists a need for protection
against fire in grain and grass fields
at thrashers, and the like, similar g
that in California In other large areas
whore wooded tracts are interspersctl
with titled fields and where woods
fires are of frequent occurrence and
often spread 10 crops and buildings
| there exists thc same need as in tht
extensive grain fields. And, tn the
general protection of farm buildings
and fences, in hay loft and hay rici
/ fires from spontaneous combustion o.
accident. in fires spreading from burn
TRY THE CLASSIFIED COLUMNS
IN THE DAILY REFORMET