Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-08-13
Fire Is Stiff
Burning In
Yak District
Wind Scatters Sparks and
Spreads Blaze After It
Was Under Control.
DIFFICULT REGION
TO CARRY ON FIGHT

According to reports this morning
from the Yak fire, the break away
that was caused last Tuesday BY strsng
wind b confined largely to ! string
Of small fires extending from the forks
Of Spread creek nogthwnrd to Davis
ridge and across the top IT the ri1ge-
This Is not = solid fire but consists q
number Of small bI1zes. That b Tt
report given by m airplanc thAt scout
ed over the fire yesterday aftcrnoea-
Camps were newly srgani1ed ycster-
day to combat this new development-
The fire in much q thc area that w.
first burned over Is nearly burned cut.
Therefore crews in that area are being
reduced and the men concentrated In
the Davis ridge area. The line b be-
inG divided into sectors and different
men placed In charge Of crews over
the various sectors.
F. J. Jefferson, fire inspector from
the regional office at Missoula, went
onto this fire again yesterday and b
assisting in the reorganization L. G.
Horribly, who has been in charge Of the
fight there, and H. A. Calkins1 IN
charge Of commissary, are coming out
this afternoon because of illness. Both
are from the Missoula office, and have
been combating the fire ever since It
started.
During the past week the wind has
caused fire fighters more trouble than
any other one thing Up to Tuesday
afternoon everything was in good con-
dition, but at that time the wind again
blew the Deer creek--or Yaak--fire
out Of bounds ard it has again been
causing trouble This fire has extend
ed in a northeasterly direction for q
distance Of about two miles. according
to reports up to Wednesday afternoon
II had reached the head of the West
Fork Of the Yak and was burning
down that stream. The fire had reach
ed the top Of Davis ridge up to that
time.
One camp on Spread creek was
burned out and another camp on the
West Fork was abandoned because OF
the speed of the on-coming fire. We'd
nesdav afternoon forces were being re-
organized to continue the fight against
this most destructive blaze of the sea-
son. It is said about six miles Of adj
ditional trench line will be needed 70
corral this blaze.
This fire has been very difficult
one to fight stated ]. B. Yule, tenn
porarily in charge Of the Libby forest
! service office. 1T is in dense stand
/ Of white fir and spruce, with heavy
1 growth Of snow brush. With the tim
Der SO extremely dry, this provides a
| condition ideal for the spreading OF
fire. Nearly every afternoon there
/ has been strong wind TO contend
I with. The wind blows up sparks from
/ the district that has been burned over
they are spread far and wide anc
lighting in this dry brush, they smoul-
| der for short time and are then IAN
ned into flame by the wind. This
smoke coming from the old fire makes
it almost impossible to locate These
new or spot fires until they have
burst into flame and have gooe
start"
Mr.. Yule stated that the dense
smoke drifting into this district or
Tuesday came from fire on forest as
4 ISOLATION land, on Marble creek IN
Idaho. near the St. Joe forest
v Earlier in the week there was
small fire on Bull creek. a tributary 0
4 Bobtail. creek, north of Libby. Thi
covered about 20 acres but is now un
!, der control. Another small fire be.
tween Meadow creek and Rainy creei
4 covered two acres but was soon pu
out. A pack string of horses was use'
to carry water to the Bull creek fire
t Wednesday afternoon small blaz
was reported near the Troy range
station but was soon under control
-------------