The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-12-28
FIRE PATROL IN
| FOREST SUCCESS
Machines Travelled Over
| Wide Area in Search
of Fires.
AIR BUREAU FORMED
Devices to Be Attached to
Planes SO Aviators Can
Tell of Discoveries.

WASHINGTON Dec. 27.--The or
kanIzel fire patrol In the United
kaf,s which aviators have main
Named under the direction OF the
koros, service OF the department OF
Lrulture during the past season
4 IS proved beyond question the ef-
f,riiyeur-s of the aiIplane AS an aid
H. discovering and locating forest
flrrs. according TO officials OF the de-
.paItncut
I. Th.s new flying undertaking was
by the air service of the
1ar department. with Its personnel
hnd equipment. and at the expense
|of that organization. For three
bnonths uninterrupted service was
maintained and total OF 745 flights
lowering 91,605 miles was made
ksny fires were discovered. located
M reported in advance OF the reg
lar forest service detection orgAnl-
IsAuun
SIX patrol routes covering national
forest areas OF high value In Calf
brp!t were followed, and twice each
,4y s.N Curtiss airplanes covered the
[letter part OF 5000. 900 acres OF
MfOutN. lflbbu J'dNllJ Nllll-
.lered country. Tho average non
s,op run was 100 miles; the average
round trip, $40 miles.
with the opening OF the hunting
sason the fire situation In northern
california bcoame critical and an eN-
tension OF the air patrol was asked.
. This was one Of the principal factors
|necessitating complete reorganiza-
L.. la al n Ia A "a
Ihrnia. De liavilani planes were
substituted for the slower planes OF
|,mGlier gasoline capacity and less
climbing power. Two new bases were
established New daily routes were
|sld out one OF which covered 500
miles and the service was extended
from the original to 10 national
sfores,s in California.
! Beginning September I. eight air
1 Names covered twice each day more
Van 100000 acres of national
Yorest. and 5.0OO.bQ0 acres OF private
w owned timber lands Eight addi-
uonal airplanes were used on alter
nate days to allow for necessary re-
pairs and relief OF pilots. Sixteen
plots and 22 mechanics were AS
signed to the work. Up to the first OF
october only six forced landings.
with one fatality. and no Injuries 10
Pilots or observers, occurrcdc.4Da
age TO the airplares considering the
number OF miles covered and the
rough country patrolled. was negli-
sbe No figures az TO the cost Of
the experiment have been made
Wsllable.
In the discovery OF fires the air
patrol showed itself IS per cent ef-
tcIent and II IL declared that 1t can
be made practically 100 per cent ef-
fcIent. either by providing for a
longer period In the air or possibly
BY making the time of flight cores
pond more closely TO the hours OF the
day when the largest percentage OF /
fires start
Experience shows that while the
effective discovery radius" varies
with atmosphere conditions, and tho
height OF the observer, an observer
a. an altitude OF 5000 feet can detect /
a FIRE at least 30 miles distant.
Though experience and familiar
Ity with the country are important
factors In accurately determining
the exact location of fires, wonder
'ul results were obtained by pilots
sntirely new TO the region, but
squipped with such maps as were
ivailable one lieutenant flying a DE
Haviland over an entirely new route,
placed within one-half mile OF IT'S ac- I
ual location a 200-acre fire that was
Is miles AWAY. To see II .he had to
pok almoat sdirectly into the sun.
\ QncSshe ". e.. the reporting OF !
Rires-as d!stingus he'd from discov- /
ering and locating thtp--was not 10
satisfactory.
Parachutes with messages at
mChed which were occasionally
used, proved to be uncertain. car
rier pigeons released In the a ir ana
reports made by telephone and leIe-
graph after landing were found to 7.
| }. too slow TO insure best results.
Il is believed that thr> wireless 2
| Preferably the wireless telephone, or
'efs the solution ot this difficulty IN
The alr-serviCe fire patrol
As result OF this seasons RECORD, F.
b request has been made for ooniinh
Gus daily airplane patrol oi All inc .