Albuquerque morning journal., 1921-05-09
HOW ARE FOREST FIRES PUT OUT?
OLD RANGER EXPLAINS THE GAME
90 % o. % % 90 90 90 90
WATER ONLY USED FOR THE FIREMEN

bt. necessary iOl udgS 10 see lndI
sparks are not swept across onto
unbTned country.
You can readily see the reason
for that box and it's tools, can you
not? Rakes for the needles and
small stuff, hoes and mattocks to
cut sod and grass and to remove
inflammable clods, shovels 10
smother logs with dirt axes and
saws 10 clear brush and fell dead
snags that wouId act as hug
torches TO throw sparks far ahead
of the fire line. Then we keep can
teens and water buckets to supp y
the fire fighters with 'water-it'> :
thirst raising game. lanterns
for night work and sometimes also
a cooking outfit and rations for u
small crew for several days.
Well Prepared.
'Of these fire tool boxes, we
have six on this district. all so To-
Gated as to be available in danger
areas or along lines of travel where
they can be reached going to "A
fire and thus save carrying tools
q long distance, which. If you have
tried ii on horseback, you will find
stow job.
up at the station you may want
to take a look at the rack of fire
tooIs in the storehouse. That is the
emergency equipment for a large
crew in case Of a big fire. AlgC,
YOU will find the pack saddle racks
with SIX pack outfits completely
ready down even To spare shoes
for the horses, cooking outfits,
food in panniers or pack bags and,
also tents and supply of blankets
packed for rapid getaway. Our
lire department, you see" said the
ranger with smile, "and Just 1s
with the city fire department, we
want to get to q fire quick, only
our getting there is not as spectac.
ulor as in the city.
Now as to the rest of il, tho
men to fight fires, those who wield
all those rakCs and hoes, come
from all sides of my district which
covers about 10000 acres of these
mountains. During the season, |
have a smoke chaser who stays at
the station awaiting fire calls. He
goes at once to the reported fire,
his horse always IN tie corral and
an emergency fire equipment Of "a
combination rake and hoe on his
saddle and light axe in his gun
scabbard. He also carries com
pact ration for two days. Bed he.
does not bother with but he docs
take a small emergency telephone
which ne can tic onto our system
wherever ne cares TO- Thls man
sets many l'tes pelore llley 90 any
ua mage IL 100 Hluou LOT MN 10
haha'e' tollow up with tne pack
ef ana an outllt lof nunIoer OF
mon ana summon the helper" from
nearby ranches OF PICK tLlem uP
on the way. NO" over at the niue
saw mil on Gear creek are zen
men Always READY iot llres i'l iat
region seven fahcheS VIII re-
sponu "hen ! give certain ring
on the Nal.ey lihe ana t'ley lurnlSh
t"eiNe liEhtelsi over ~ tiie rthe
poMoitlce twenty men are aFd1'a-
pre- ana SO II goes Al are seen -
notiileG oeiore tle l,'e '''ooil
Leaders are CHOSEN ana they KNOW
Mhere 10 get the hoip we Ca'l ,oG
For additiohal supplles' an oil !hs
small stores IN or near 'niS leRtoH
are sent, IN Apfil, ration llSts cah-
ing lor supplies ior oilleteht l,'i.I S.zeo e,.I
crews Iof varying PellouS-llNe
uaSS' zen uayS' ana 80 -ano
upon my phonihg a nutnoe.s 'heS
dt once pach anu o''pd'oi '"e
CURED suppIleS,
The rest of the Tire game,
will tell you some other time. tor
instance, how fires are located the
big task of keeping up our lines
of communication, trails and tele-
phone lines and all that. For M
stance. do you see the TOP OF BaIdy
over there? Wen, that tiny speck
on top is Baidy Lookout House
and there, at $4,000 teet--'way
above timber line"-from sunrise TO
man. keeps sharp watch Tor tlreS
during the fire season. usually
lonely three months task. Ihere
arc tive 1mpre such peaks on this
forest which covers over mllnon
acres. and five more mon VINO. cx-
cept for the daily test calls over
the phone lines, do not hear hu-
man voice but once q month wnen
either | or the smoke-chaser takes
up his supplies.
mot quite as heroic or spect1c-
ular as your fire department down
in the city, Is lt!' concluded inc
ranger.
Carclessness Costly.
The summer girl. who had first
the ranger as he came
down the trail an hour before,
turned suddenly from her r>ntem-
plation of the bold gray outline of