Imperial Valley press., 1931-04-13
F FLAMES
DESTROY
VILLAGES
Fear Many Lives May Be
Lost AS Settlers Fight
To Save Homes
DAMAGE ENORMOUS
Large Areas In Michigan
And Wisconsin Wiped
Out By Forest Fires

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis, April
13. tU.P) - Fire, raging unchecked
across thousands of acres of cut
over timber, and virgin forests,
spread today from town to town,
leveled the countryside in its prog
ress, endangering thousands of lives
and caused untold property dam
age in northern Wisconsin and up
per Michigan.
Frantic calls were sent from vii
lage TO village and from city to
city. asking aid in fighting the
great menace of the northland, but
they went unheeded for the most
part. Each town faced its own
fight. Its men were needed at
home.
The villages of Wallace and Eagle
in Michigan were in ashes, sacri-
ficed while their residents were
away helping fight fires which
ragged in and around other towns
and which were springing up in SO
many places at once that several
hundred forest rangers were power
less to cope with them.
The various fires, all small at
their origins, ragged rapidly through
the dry timber land, spreading de-
struction and possibly death as they
raced to meet each other. A great
pail OF smoke hung over an area
several hundred square miles.
Around and in Wisconsin Rapids,
fire burned over tract a mile long
and three blocks wide, destroying
six homes, numerous sheds and
barns, with an estimated loss of
$150000.
The fire started from grass
blaze and spread to a Standard Oil
warehouse. AS tank explosions
rocked the countryside, embers
were scattered over the town, build
ings located blocks away were fired,
and within a short time the whole
area was in flames.
Firemen from six neighboring
cities rushed to aid local residents.
who were fighting desperately
against overwhelming odds.
While residents of Wallace, Mich.
just across the state line, were
helping save the town of Ingalls,
from destruction, fire suddenly
broke cut in their own village and
before they could get back it des-
troyed Is homes, two factories, the
church and garages and sheds bv
the dozens. The town was razed.
Eagle, Mich, suffered a like fate.
more than SO buildings being sacri-
feed there to the desire of its res
idents to aid neighboring towns
which were burning before their
own homes were fired.
Dangerous fires surrounded the
towns of Crandon, Phillips and
Park Falls in Wisconsin. Commun-
ication lines were destroyed. The
fate of scores of residents was In
doubt. 1t was feared many had
perished Those outside could not
get into the area. Those inside
could not get out.
1t was known that IL fires were
burning furiously In the neighbor-
hood of Crandon and that several
farm homes had been destroyed
near there. Police Chief A. r.
Tracy said the entire town of 1900
persons was doomed unless the wind
Snilleu suddenly OF HeaVy rams
descended.
Reports that dozens of freight
ers, government and volunteers.
could not be accounted for. could
be verified only in part. 1t was
known only that the men had gone
into the forests where the fires
ragged They had not come back.
There were numerous theories as
to why fires broke out in SO many
places at the same time. Some said
it was due in many cases to back
firing. the woodman's method OF
checking the great menace Of the
forests. So many "hackfire" blazes
were started, some residents said.
that they got out of control.