Evening star., 1942-04-26
Soldiers Help Fight
Fairfax Forest Fire,
Raging Out Of Control
Another BIoze in Nearby
Prince Georges Continue.
To Burn After Third Doy

A large forest FIRE In nearb,
Fairfax County, Va, extendins
over a i2-mile front. broughi
out $50 Fort Belyoir soldiers, 2oe
inmates OF the District of Co
iurnbia Reformatory at Lorton
all available FIRE fighting equip
ment and hundreds of resident,
last night In an attempt TO check
the flames.
Meanwhile. another fire which
had burned over 1900 acres II
Prince Georges County. Nd. con.
tinued to burn last night aftel
the third consecutive day In area.
near Oxon Hill. ForestviIle. Gin.
ton, Camp Springs. Largo and Up
per Marlboro.
The Fairfax County fire had
fiared up sporatically during the las'
two days. but got out OF contro
late yesterday afternoon after al
available volunteer fremen hac
responded.
Supt. Ray HUFF Of Lorton said be
had sent about 200 trustworthy
prisoners and guards 10 assist fire.
fighting efforts. The Fort Belvoir
soldiers travelled to the scene iri
Army trucks. The military reser-
vation's fire equipment also was
dispatched.
No Injuries Reported.
Up until a late hour last night
police knew Of no personal injuries
At least four old houses which had
previously been abandoned were
destroyed.
Continued dry weather appeared
to be the chief reason for quick
spread Of fires throughout Mary
land and Virginia, and the Weather
Bureau last night said II could
promise no immediate relief.
-Four companies from Seat Pleas
ant, Capitol Heights, Boulevard
Heights and Hillside, responded to
q new blaze yesterday afternoon at
Bradbury Park near the new Fed
eral ONCE Building at SuitIand. The
flames were brought under control
In about three hours.
II. 4. McCredy, district w. p. A.
manager OF Virginia, reported to
State headquarters that hundreds
Of w. r. A. workers were being used
In battling forest fires which have
ragged over more than 1900 acres in
Southwest Virginia during the past
week, the Associated Press reported.
IncendiArism Suspected.
Most of the major blazes. believed
to be among the most widespread
and damaging in the history of the
southwest counties, were reported
to be under control yesterday and
State and Federal authorities turned
their attention to an investigation
of the possibility that the fires in
Southwest Virginia we're Of incendi-
ary origin.
Bloodhounds we're used in two in
stances In an effort to track down
suspects, w. j. Elliott, administra-
tive assistant of the jefferson Ma
tional Forest, reported.
Chairman N. Clarence Smith of
the State Conservation Commits
sion said he had evidence that some
OF last weeks fires were incendiary
Gov. Darden ordered Mr.. Smith TO
attempt to obtain indictments II the
persons responsible for the fires are
apprehended.
New Spots Set Afire.
Maryland State Forestry Depart
ment oficials said they suspected
incendiarism as the cause of some
OF the fires In that State.
They said they understood State
police were investigating fire which
was sweeping Backbone Mountain
in Garrett County and that while
located blazes were being brought
under control, new spots were being
set afire.
A 400-acre blaze was raging about
10 miles west of Annapolis. Crews
battled the flames through most of
the day and night.