Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1941-05-02
FOREST FIRES
MOST DISASTROUS
SINCE YEAR 80

period from April Ii to %, 1941, had
proven to be the most difficult ten
day period of forest fires experienced
in Maryland since 1880. The Depart
ment now has preliminary reports on
300 fires which covered an estimated
acreage of 16,498 acres, about 80 per
cent of which was forested. It is es-
timated that no fewer than a dozen
cottages and residences, a church To-
Gated near Pasadena, Anne Arundel
County, and an uncounted number of
barns, sheds, fences and smaller farm
buildings were consumed.
Ninety-four fires burned with great
speed and fierceness on April 20 and
81 spreading over an estimated acre
age of 1O,365 acres on those two days
alone, severely taxing the States a
valuable fire fighting equipment and
indicating a great need for more hand
tools, vehicles better adapted for
transportation of water and manpow-
er, and expansion of radio facilities.
Volunteers flocked to the scene of the
larger fires, but could be of little aid
due to lack of fire tools and vehicles
to move the volunteers quickly from
place to place as the fires raced rap
idly through the forests to new loca-
tions.
Volunteer fire companies and CCC
forces under the leadership of Mary
land Forest Wardens rendered valiant
service. but were frequently handi-
capped due to difficulty in keeping in
formed of locations where services
were needed the most. Two-way com
munication proved very helpful on a
large fire in Northern Anne Arundel
County which burned more than 3d.
900 acres, when the Department of
Forestry called three forestry radio
cars into the area and directed them
by radio from the Long Hill Lookout
Tower in shifting fire fighting crew
from points of too heavy concentra-
ton to other points of rapid burn.
Had radio equipment been available
on the fire truck and other public We
hicles, it is believed by forestry Of
ficials that the fire could have been
held to half its size and much of the
forest land and many buildings could
have been saved. The three radio
cars operating in the area were able
to avert many serious situations by
calling aid from sections of the fire
line where an over concentration of
manpower had occurred. Several
homes were thus saved, persons were
rescued from burning buildings, and
ambulances were used to best advan-
tage in moving persons who had been
overcome, to points of safety.
Fires were widely distributed thru
out the State and were particularly
severe in Allegany, Anne Arundel,
Baltimore, Dorchester, Garrett, Mont
gomery. Prince Georges st. Mary's
-and Wicomico Counties. Three fires
on April 20 exceeded 1000 acres in
size, the largest causing great con-
sternation to suburban home owners
in small communities in Anne Arun-
del County between the Severn Riv-
Ar and the Baltimore City line, and
making great spectacle for thous-
ands of persons in the Baltimore
Annapolis Metropolitan area. The
second fire burned 1900 acres near
Pittsville, Wicomico County, which
community was for time endanger-
ed by the spreading fire. This fire
severely damaged over half of the
Eastern Shore Experimental Forest
administered by the Allegheny Forest
Experiment Station of the U. S. For
est Service, dangerously threatened
the new Experiment Station buildings
at the forest, burned the paint and
two tires off of truck used by the
Experiment Station, and destroyed a
plantation of 10000 loblolly pine
trees that had just been planted. The
third burned a little over 1000 acres
on Backbone Mountain, Garrett Coup
ty, and swept through a portion of
the Potomac State Forest, did great
harm to fine hunting area and pro-
duced a heavy layer of charcoal and
ashes which will soon be washed into
some of the States best trout streams
to the evident injury of the spawn
ing grounds and the fish as well. En-
rollees from CCC Camps at Taskers
Corner, Swallow Falls, and Meadow
Mountain aided Forest Wardens and
nearly a hundred registered State fire
fighters in saving over $4,000 acres
of State and private forest lands
that were threatened on Backbone
Mountain by this fire.
Ninety percent of the fires were