The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-05-14
FAMILIES
TRAPPED
BY BLAZE
IN WOODS
Women Scout Danger and
Keep on Washing While
Back Fence Burns

Two hundred men, with smoke
blackcned faces and blood-shot eyes.
were fighting desperately today with
buckets. axes and trench shovels u
beat back the roaring brush fire
that has ragged in the forest back Of
Kenmore, on Bothell highway. the
last two days, and has burned =
l.ooo-yard strip thru 30 miles Of ttm-
beriand, from Alderwood Manor, past
Martha lake. TO Swamp creek.
threatening more than q score of
homes and the lives Of threesccrc
men, women and children
MORE FIRES HIDDEN
BY PAIL or SMOKE
At 10 A. m. the flames were b.
lieved to have been stalled in
tleir red sweep across the hills. but
a heavy pail Of smoke hung over the
whole territory about tho northern
arm Of Lake Washington. % that II
WAS impossible To tell exacf1y how
much firn remained unchecked
What damage has bsen dsno vim
be impossible for several days - Al
culate.
One death. that Of Frank A. Pun-
tiu.. pioneer druggist. O. ~ ~
tributed 70 the fire. bue snlv inobout-
y. Pontius. suffering iron . Ioog
illnAss and sst1Dsa ~ 0nsAo thnoNn-
vcIoped hir home . mils h aAv0nns
Of ths fire. dropped AanA - ~ looR
yard.
FIRE ONCE THOUGHT
UNDER CONTROL
At noon yesterday. wfsn a. dsO
fighters. 100 strong. sen4 by a. Ad-
miralty Logging company in1D tha
hills back Of Lake Fore0 Park.
thought they had blocked the advanc-
ing conflagration. the wind suddeniy
vecrcd INTO the northeast
A brisk breeze sprAng up from
that quarter and, giving life to The
dying embers. spread the flames thru
the long dry grass into the cvcr-
green's. which burst with a roar into
fire that shot 100 feet into the air.
like giant torches.
Heat and smoke became 80 intsusa
that It was impossible to work close
to the front line Of the fire. which
swept down towards Kenmore bridge,
closer to the lake. Fences wcre
burned. and the high voltage wires
OF the Seattle Electric company rum
ming thru the district were threat
ened
As the fire advanced towards the
lake. telephone calls brought bucket
brieadee and crews OF shovelers and
axnen from Seattle-some from tho
fire wardcn's office. others from the
Seattle Electric company. and many
volunteers in motor cara
STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
NEARLY BURNED ALIVE
Fred Carter, OF the Crcap- Dale
Photo company. photographers for
The Star. narrowly escaped being
burned alive, when he took his cam-
era up an abandoned logging road.
intending to get behind the new fire
front to obtain pictures.
He was gone nearly half an hour.
When he attempted to return by the
same route he found the fire had
jumped the road and was burning
fiercely on both sides OF him. Moth
ing remained but to run for II.
Covering his camera with his coat.
with head down. he charged thru the
flames. reaching safety nearly suffo-
Gated and his clothing covered with
sparks and cinders and ready e ig-
mite in a dozen places.
IT'S a hard life." he grinned. wfp-
ing the ashes from his face. ~But
l got the pictures"
WITHIN STONES THROW
OF ROW OF HOUSES
1t was nearly o'clock then -
three hours after the fire had broken
out afresh over its new course--anf
in that three hours the flames had
advanced. despite all efforts to check
it, over an area more than half a
mile in extent and was roaring with
In a stones throw OF a row OF
houses overlooking the lake at Ken.
more.
The homes of James O'Toole.
Charles Parker. Billy German, n
Foster. ]. Ringenbach. Al Anderson,
$. Sterling, Tom Schuter, ]. Salmon.
J. Jarvis and Il. A. Terry. the store
OF J. Mitchell. the new oil filling
station of Ed Mahler. the John Nc
Master shingle mill and the mill
boarding house were directly in the
path of the oncoming fire.
Two women were in the boarding
house. closest to the advancing men.
ace. One was ironing, the other
washing dishes.
v'hev 1anchsxl u,..l .H,~xs>a