Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-09-02
FOREST FIRES
DANGER SMALL
FEW BLAZES ARE OF PROPORTIONS
OR IN LOCALITIES so AS TO
MENACE TRAVELLERS
Of1cIai and Tourist Bureaus Conducting
Campaign of Education Regarding Gas
s~ificatiOn of Fires and Damage thaL
May Result from Them

Education of the native westerTer as
well as the eastern tourist on the sub
ject of forest fires and their various
forms Is expected by forestry officials
and tourist bureaus to assist In elm
mating the halt of tourist travel to
the Pacific northwest each year when
reports of fires In the mountains are
received.
A forest fire, to the average individual,
consists of q blaze covering hundreds OF
acres, burning down fine brush lands
and that there is no material loss, al
though some inconvenience from smoke
may result to those who go too near.
In 1926 tourist travel in Montana was
materially reduced because of reports OF
forest fires which spread to trees, de-
stroying homes and threatening death to-
all who come near. Forestry officials
recognize that such fires occur OCCASION
ally but point out that many fires, with
in the limits of national forests, occur
on cut-over and tourist camps through
out the nation. Tourists were warned
by other travellers, many of whom had
not been in the state, to avoid Montana
If they desired to return to their homes
alive. The forest fire menace in Mon
tan was greater than usual in 1926, due
to the extremely dry season, but the
actual damage was not nearly as great
as the general public was led to believe.
Fires Are Classified
Representatives of a number of organi-
cations, interested in bringing tourists to
the Pacific northwest, recently held a
conference with forestry officials in an
effort to work out some plan whereby the
true facts could be given to the public.
Nothing new. from the viewpoint Of
the forest service, came out to the con-
ference but this department furnished
the travel club representatives with a
list of classi1cations OF forest fires as
used in official correspondence of the
service. 1t was agreed to use the desig-
nations of the forest service In describing
fires in the future and an educational
campaign will be launched to acquaint
the public with these designations.
Thus, the fire usually depicted In the
movies, in which the flames cover a whole
mountain side, will be recognized as the
true forest fire. No attempt will be made
by either forestry officials or tourist bu-
reaus' to minimize its dangers.
A fire occurring within the limits Of q
national forest but on land which has
been cut over by lumber interests will be
placed in an entirely different classifca-
ton. The public will be informed that
the fire is confined to an area of stumps
and small trees and that the property
loss Will be small and damages to human
life still less.
Green Timber Fires
Another classification will be set aside
for fires in green timber which has pos
sibilities Of becoming Of m~erchantable
value in the future or on lands desig-
mated by the forestry department as
watershead areas.
The final classification and the one
in which a majority Of fires are expected
TO be listed, will be in the brush fire
which will include all blazes in districts
where there is nc timber OF actual or
potential value. These fires often cause
more smoke than the huge blazes de-
stroying millions OF dollars worth of tim
Der and from a distance appear TO be o
real menace to life and property but sell
dom are responsible for material lossess