The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-06-01
FOREST FIRE DOES
MUCH DAMAGE.
WHITE IRON BEACH AND SEC.
TON THIRTY THREATETED
ALL WEEK.

A fire originating somewhere near
where the old saw mill was located
at White Iron Beach Wednesday
did untold damage to hundreds of
acres of land and second growth
timber and at one time threatened
to wipe out the Beach and Section
Thirty.
With sotth wind blowing at
the time, then fire actually flew
through the woods. A call was
sent in for the fire department and
it was only to the prompt response
department been ten minutes later,
it would have been impossible to
get to the scene as the fire had
jumped the road and was burning
fiercely on both sides.
The fire had come within two
hundred feet of the Seliskar home
at the Beach before it was noticed.
The department succeeded in hating
the flames from backing up bat the
onward rush could not be checked.
A strip about half a mile wide was
laid waste in less than two hours
reaching from the Beach to the
outskirts of Section Thirty. All
the beautiful scenery along the
read was laid waste and nothing
now remains but charred stubble on
the old townsite of Sellwood.
At Section Thirty the fire was
checked but not until after it had
reached the stacks of pulpwood and
mining timber stored alongside the
railroal track for shipment owned
by Porthan & Vuoti and had de-
stroyed the dwelling and barn of
Joe Domich. The efforts IF the
fire fighters were successful in saw
ing large portion of the Porthan
& Vuoti timber but their loss as it
is runs into large figures.
Mr.. Domich lost his house and
barn besides considerable household
goods. w. %. Lomasney of Section
Thirty has sent out an appeal for
help for Mr.. Domich and family
and will receive contributions to
help rebuild the modest little home.
All contributions should be sent to
Mr.. Lomasney who will see that
they are properly accounted for
All the household effects of
those living at Section Thirty were
packed and moved by people and
trucks to this city for safety and
the several families were taken to
safety in cars requisitioned for
this service. However, outside of
the home Of Mr.. Domich no others
were burned.
Yesterday a call was again sent
here for help and the department
responded. Another strip east and
alongside of the one burned We'd
nesday was burned through and
Section Thirty was again threaten
ed. The fire reached the st. Marie
road to the lake. The state For
estry Department also had gaso-
line pump and eight hundred feet
of hose working at the old saw
mill site and did valiant service
along the edges of the area and
kept the fire from spreading to sew
eral beauty spots and fine stands of
young timber.
Volunteers worked like Trojans
ever since the starting of the fire
and many are still on the job. Fires
are still burning over a consider
able area in that section and are
hard to fight as the rapidity with
which it spreads in the forest
makes fighting dangerous and of
little use. Sparks carry over acres
and small fires simultaneously seem
to spring up in the direction the
wind is blowing. Without rain it is
hard to say what the results will
be. The people at Section Thirty,
the Fortier saw mill on Eve Lake
and Winton are hoping for the
best as are also the cottagers at
White Iron Beach.