The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-08-01

been necessary to construct over 500
miles OF telephone line ON the forest in
order that communication can be main
tanned.
Once the fire has been reported, it
then becomes the problem of the ranger
or dispatcher to see that a crew starts
for the fire with as little delay as
possible, that the right number of men
are sent, equipped with the proper
equipment and supplies and fully di-
rected as to how they can reach the
fire in the shortest possible time. In
many cases DIT is necessary for us to send
fire crews out by hydroplane into the
more interior and inaccessible territory.
In order to speed up the transportation
Of the fire fighting crew from the base
to the fire, it has been necessary to
construct some automobile roads where
water transportation was not available.
The construction and improvement of
many Of the portable routes where water
Transportation is utilized and the con-
struction of many trails over which the
men may follow a known designated
route to. the vicinity of the fire, is
necessary. During the fire season,
regular well-trained crews are ordin-
arily maintained at certain designated
points in order that they may reach the
fire at the earliest possible time, elm
mating all travel time possible
1t also Is necessary for us to recog-
nize certain hazards that confront us.
During the heavy tourist season, when
many parties are travelling over the
forest by canoe, smoking and building
their campfires, it is necessary for us
to station crews of two or more men
at strategic points along the canoe
routes and back in the interior, con-
nected with the home office either by
phone or by radio, and their duty is
not only to talk with the various tour
lists, cautioning them in connection with
their fires, but also to act as a first
line of attack in case a fire in that
immediate territory is discovered by the
lookouts
Every smoke that shows up from the
lookoutS and is reported is Immediately
run down by the home Office and its
cause determined Sometimes brush
burning permits are allowed to local
settlers and during the period the brush
burning permit is in effect a pin is
inserted in the map on the exact To-
cation so that if that fire is reported
by the lookout it generally is not neces-
sary to investigate this smoke unless it
appears to be spreading, and this in
formation is generally collected from
the lookout when he reports the smoke
into the Office.
Fire tools, especially adapted to fire
suppression activities, are cached in
many locations over the entire forest
and central caches are maintained at
all rangers headquarters and all CCC
camps. This class of equipment is set
aside for fire fighting purposes only, in
order that the cache will be complete
in each case it becomes necessary to
send out with fire fighting crew
Where crews go into the interior of the
forest, it is generally necessary to send
canoes, camp cooking equipment, and
a supply of food. Quite often these
men going back in on an interior fire
must take sufficient supplies and equip
ment with them to stay on the fire
sometimes for week or ten days be-
fore additional supplies and equipment
can be sent in to them. Each crew as
it now starts for fire in the interior
takes small portable radio broad
casting unit with them, and after land
ing at the fire are able to communi-
cate immediately with the ranger and