The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-14
timber BLAzES
NOW QUENCHED
BY BL|TzKR|EG
Parachutists, Motorized
Corps Cut Loss in
Northwest
BY WILLIAM McNfENAMIN
United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent
Portland, Ore, Aug. 14s-(UP)
Modern methods Of fire fighting that
include parachutists, water bombs
streamlined trucks and supply lines
kept open by planes enable the for
ester of 1910 to keep forest IRE losses
to minimum despite the worst fire
hazards this year in Pacific North
west history.
Fires have blackened vast areas Of
the Northwest at periodic intervals
ever since David Douglas, Scottish
botanist for whom the Douglas fir
was named, referred to vast burned
areas encountered when he crossed
Oregon and washington In 1927.
Forest fires frequently burned over
45O, 900 to 100000 acres, took tolls Of
lives up to 100 persons and destroyed
towns and villages.
An unprecedented dry periods
days without rain-left Northwest for
ests parched and, although several
thousand fires were started through
| lightning and rnan-made causes,
losses were kept to a minimum this
summer.
Jumpers Are Introduced
Parachute jumpers were used suc-
cessfully throughout Oregon, WASH
ington, Idaho and Montana for the
first time this year to catch lightning
fires when one or two men can put
them out before they spread beyond
control.
Lookouts are spotted throughout
the forests on constant vigil for the
smallest trace of smoke. II the fire
is near road, q high speed truck
carries workers to extinguish 1t
quickly. If 1t can be reached within a
comparatively short time, a large
truck arrying a horse and five pack
mules rushes a highly tanned group
of workmen to the scene.
If the fire is too big in its scope for
the smaller unit to handle, trucks
quickly rush up reinforcements over
federal forest roads constructed by
the CCC. Supplies may be dropped to
crews that must pack-in with horse
and mule to isolated areas. Trans
port planes are used to drop the sup
plies in large canvas sacks padded
with wood shavings.
1t sometimes takes several days for
fighters to reach the scene of isolated
fires started by lightning In sections
of the forests untouched by roads.
The modern smoke jumpers
reach the scene Of small blaze and
extinguish it before it has a chance
to get started. The are at the fire a
few minutes after the outlook spots
it.
'Chutes Can Be Guided
A special parachute Is used, about
80 feet in diameter, equipped with
guide lines and flaps for steering.
The jumper can land within from so
to 200 yards Of the desired spot. He Is
equipped with a rope to let himself
down If he lands in q tree or rocky
ledge.
The parachutist Is dressed in
heavy garments made Of strong duck
padded with thick wool felt. His face
is protected by a heavy wire mask.
The pilot carrying the parachutist
flies over the fire and drops a small
burlap test chute with a bag Of sand
attached to test the wind currents.
He then circles and drops the jump
erS.
Planes Drop Supplies
The pilot circles again and drops
packs containing tools, food, water,
medicine and other supplies. The fire
fighting crew from the air can be
supplied indefinitely in the same
manner. The entire process takes
only about 10 minutes.
A new method of dive bombing to
halt the spread of small fires with
water bombs or bombs made of spe-
cial chemicals also has been devel-
oped. These bombs are used to drench
tree struck by lightning and set
afire or trees in the patch Of a blaze.
Aerial photography is used to OBJ
tain accurate aerial maps of all of
the national forest lands Of the west.
Land surveys would take months,
while planes accomplish the job in
a few days.
These maps are used to chart the
timberland, the topography of the