The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-04-24
FOREST FIRES
CAUSING MUCH
DAMAGE HERE
Several Occurred On Sunday,
One Burning About 1000 Acres;
Cottage Burned on Lake

With several hundred men fighting
fires in Garrett county Sunday,
forestry officials said it was the
worst conditions we have expe-
rienced in the past ten years"
The most serious blaze was one
on Backbone Mountain, near Alta
mont, which burned over practically
1000 acres, where gale-like winds
caused the fire to rage for several
hours. 1t even jumped the state road
and continued to the Mt. Zion road
where after ceaseless effort by sew
eral hundred CCC men and residents
of that area, it was brought under
control.
Volunteer fire companies of Deer
Park, Oakland and Kitzmiller were
pressed into service. The call came
to the Oakland department about
$3.50 a. m. Again in the afternoon the
Oakland firemen were called to ex-
tinguish grass fire in the vicinity
OF the Ralpn weber nome.
Lake Cottage Burned
In the meantime a blaze along
Deep Creek, in the Raymond Houck
tract, near the breast of the dam,
caused the destruction of one cottage
and burned over an area of Is to 20
acres. The cottage was owned by G.
Stark, of Pittsburgh, Pa. Cabins of
Miss Beryldine Fulk, Floyd Stahl,
Wellington Yutzy and two other
people were endangered for time,
the fire burning up to the buildings
and scorching the shrubbery. Leaves
also caught under the porches on the
Fulk cabin but were quickly eX-
tinguished.
A blaze swept over an area of
about 100 acres in the Bittinger sec
ton before it was finally brought
under control after several hours of
battling by men of that section.
Other fires were reported at Grants
vile.
oakland Flremen BUSY
Oakland fremen have been kept on
the jump answering alarms caused by
grass and forest fires along with
regular causes. They answered an
alarm last Friday near the Moomaw
residence at Mt. Lake Park, the siren
again sounding just about noon.
Then came the two calls on Sunday,
and on Monday morning about 1870
both trucks were taken to Shipley's
garage at Mt Lake Park where a
blaze was reported. This fire was
quickly eXtinguished.
The woods have been dry as finder
and conditions have been extremely
bad, due to lack of soaking rain.
The high winds coupled with appar-
ent carelessness on the part of farm
ers burning brush and fishermen and
picnickers smoking, was presenting
dangerous outlook.
Monday Bad Day Too
Monday continued to be bad day
for forest fires, seven blazes being
reported in Garrett county. CARROTS
fires, however, were not considered
as serious as the many others
throughout the entire state.
Blazes in the Savage River dam
section on top of Meadow mountain
near Pritchard's on route 40 and near
Shady Grove on route 40 were
brought under control, but two other
fires on Backbone mountain, one near
the Vindex road and the other near
the Bloomington road, burned for
several hours before being eXtin-
guished.
There was also bad fire at Miller's
Run, near Swallow Falls, which caused
much trouble. The Oakland Fire de-
partment was called to assist in put
ting out this fire Monday evening
about $50. A blaze at Schell on the
Potomac river back of Deer Park was
also a stubborn one. Five hundred
men were busy fighting fires in this
county on Monday. -Four hundred adj
ditional men fought blazes in Allie
gany county where the worst blaze
was on the east side of Dams Noun
tain.
Two small fires were reported on
Tuesday.
A soaking rain yesterday afternoon
Al L. Il
spell that had enveloped the entire
county since about April II, and
stopped for time at least, the spread
of more fires in the woods.