The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-08-20
5000 Acres
OF Timber
Burned Over
Worst Forest Fire of Year
In This District Started
BY Lightning.
WILL BE UNDER
CONTROL TODAY

The worst location for fire have
ever experienced" said Supervisor X.
A. Klehm while communicating with
the headquarters office in Libby rela-
tive to the forest fire that has been
burning on Edna creek since Sunday
morning.
Up to last night the fire had
burned over about 5000 acres and
would require fire line about 80 miles
long to enclose it. About 1,5OO men are
fighting it, with eight camps estab-
1ished.
Under Control Today
1--WE expect to have the fire under
control today" said Assistant Supervis-
or Jefferson if another bad wind does
not blow up to scatter spot fires. The
first day of the fire the fighters were
handicapped by 25-mile wind that
scattered burning embers and started
many spot blazes Word comes from
the front this morning that they will
have the fire surrounded and under
control today"
The fire was caused by lightning and
was first noticed at Cos o'clock Sunday
morning on the head Of Edna creek.
This is from IL to Is miles directly
south of Eureka and somewhat south
west of Fortine. The fire has been
moving northeast toward Fortine, al
though it has also moved somewhat
northwest and last night was crossing
the divide into the Pinkham creek
district
In Dense Spruce Blowdown
The fire started in a spruce blow
down and in timber killed by beetles.
1t has burned into an old tie slashing
district on Meadow creek The down
timber made a condition exceptionally
bad, as indicated by Supervisor
Klehm's remark quoted above. Orders
we're sent into Libby for power saws
with the statement that there were
from 80 to 40 windfalls 10 inches or
larger in diameter every SO feet. These,
with the tie slashing and other brush,
made an exceptionally hot fire. The tim
Der destroyed has been of very little
value although some good timber has
been burned.
supervisor klehm In Charge
Supervisor Klehm is in charge of OPP
erations at the fire. He is directly over
the east sector and is assisted by c. S.
Webb from the Missoula office on the
west sector Also present from the
Missoula office are J. K Dwinelle, G..
S. Croker and Clarence Sutliff. A
large number of forest officials were
rushed to the battle line These include
George Stoltz, Rolf Fremming, Bob
Byers of Libby; Ranger Walter Robb
Of the Lolo forest; Rangers Ray Fer
guson and J. G. Mcdonald of the Flat
head forest; Rangers G. T. Cornell, Syl-
vanite; Charles Powell, Rexf6rd; Char
ley Fem, Upper Ford; Warren Ensign,
Warland; and Sam T. Billings, on whose
district the fire is burning. Also pres
ent are Roy Headley, of Washington,
D. c., and Bud Daugharty, CCC camp
superintendent at Sylvanite and Walter
Jefferson, camp superintendent on the
| Flathead.
Fighters From Surrounding Cities
A hundred men were brought in from
Spokane, 200 from Kalispell, nearly a
hundred from Missoula, an indefinite
number from Libby and the balance Of
the $500 from CCC and blister rust
camps.
All communication with the fighting
front is. by radio with clearance
through the Ants Flat station and the
Libby office. The radio is working
we'll and has been Of great assistance,
states J. W. Farris Of the local office.