Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-10-15

uron IRE, on the headWaterS OF 1eton
River, in the Lewis & Clark National
Forest, Montana. Here, according to the
records, five men were caught by a
sudden rush of the flames. They per-
ished on August Is and after the cor
oner's inquest bodies were inferred at
Great Falls, Montana.
Burning nags-treacherous, flaming
dead trees standing beside fire trails
that MUST be built, caused four other
deaths on four widely scattered fires.
The tenth man lost his life on the Skal-
kaho grade in the Bitterroot Forest and
the eleventh was hurled to death as
bus-With 20 firefighters aboard
sped up steep and narrow motorway
toward the French Greek fire
Tourists and campers were respon
siblc for 288 forest fires during 1881
through carelessness with pipes. cigars.
cigarettes and camp fires. official fig
ures reveal. This is larger number,
from such causes, than has ever before
been reported by the forest service in
the national forests of Montana and
northern Idaho, according to forest of
ficers. Railroads are reported as re-
sponsible for 81, four are laid to log
cling operations. 43 to unauthorized
burning of brush and debris during the
hazardous summer season. 12I were the
work of incendiaries, SIS started from
unknown causes, and lightning set a
total of a55 fires.
The Deer Greek fire was the largest,
it is said. Starting 20 miles northeast
Of Boomers Ferry this conflagration
swept out Of control with high winds,
crossed the Montana line into the head
waters of the Yak River. and finally
reached the Canadian border. II is esti-
mated that more than IT'S miles of line
was constructed on this fire: more than
1000 men toiled for weeks before it
was finally corralled
The Mcpherson fire, which started
on the Occur d'Alene National Forest,
was another large one, with 100 miles
of fire trail built by more than 1000
men. It was stopped on the headwaters
of Pilgrim and Elk Greeks. in the Cabi-
net Forest. lust before IT reached the
towns of Heron and Noxon. on the
Clarks Fork river the report states
! Greatest loss of ranch property was
experienced in the Freeman Lake fire,
on the Kaniksu National Forest. ac-
cording TO forest officials. Here 81 fam
lilies were burned out in three days
more than one hundred peoule left
homeless and largely dependent
through the coming winter upon TIA
Red Cross and the charity Of kindly
neiphbors.
1t was on this fire that Ed Daily
buried his wife and two children IN
their potato patch, covering them over
with earth and putting wet sacks over
their faces to keep them from being
burned to death Next morning he dug
them out and they reached Priest River
in safety
More than $4,000 acres were burned
in this Freeman Lake fire and it took
80 miles of fire trail to surround it,
it is said. Reports indicate. however,
that most of this acreage was outside
the Kaniksu National Forest: that gov
eminent losses were confined to about
5000 acres.
Total area burned by fires handled
by the forest service in Montana and
northern Idaho in 1881 was 1880
acres, according to the report OF this
amount, 91,115 acres were in north
ern Idaho, and 80,795 acres were in
Montana
Damage to national forest property
includes. according to estimates now
compiled destruction of 40 million feet
of timber, valued at $4,000, and Of
forest telephone line valued at $4,000.
Tentative figures from cooperating
agencies estimate additional losses on
fires not handled by the forest serv-
ice at $121.000 This latter figure in
cludes $4,000 as the value of 40
ranches burned out $1,000 for ranch
livestock killed in these forest fires.
and $4,000 for merchantable timber
killed.
THE fire season Of 1881 was bad
one--the worst. from the standpoint of
damage which might have been done
since the historic season Of 1910 when
IA people lost their lives in one fire.
says Regional Forester Evan Kelley.
in commenting on the report
"That the loss of life on the wide
flung fire lines did not exceed eleven.
that not a single rancher, camper,
fisherman, or tourist persisted is
he continued.
The two human factors which were
the most disturbing. according to the
forester, were the large in