The Ely miner., 1943-05-20
1000 Fire Fighters
Safeguarding Superior
Forest Timber Reserue
Citizens Army Ready for
Instant Call to Fight
Battle of Flames

| A forest fire fighting orga
nization number more thar
1000 persons will be on cal
tduring coming months to safe
guard the western quarter o.
the Superior National Forest.
This organization viii keep the
more than 100000 acres of the La
Croix, Kawishiwi and Halfway ranger
district, under its watchful eye, and
win be ready for instant call to duty
The forest fire fighters are mainly
private citizens-loggers, farmers, re-
sorters. junior college and high school
students, school teachers, municipal
and county employees, railroad workers
and civilian defense corps personnel
Included are 200 iron ore miners who
will be called upon only in event of
extreme emergency.
The volunteers draw no pay, except
when they are actually fighting a
fire. Many must undergo a rigorous
period Of training, and all receive some
practical work in the methods of ex-
tinguishing forest fires.
Upon them this area and the ma
ton must depend to combat any fire
threat to the Superior timber reserve
so vital to the nations war effort.
In charge of the forest fire fighting
organization are the three district
rangers. j. W. Trygg of the Kawishiwi,
j. M. Valentine of the La Croix and
Franklin P. Legat of the Halfway.
Under them are the forest services
ful-time employees of the district fire
fighting units. These workers are the
lookout, forest, prevention and emer-
gency guards.
Then come the new national forest
werdens, experienced and highly train
ed fire fighters who go on duty when
a fire breaks out or fire danger is at
a high point
A complete list of specialists who
wiz be available at moments notice
has been catalogued. They are the crew
foremen and strawbosses, cooks and
helpers, pump operators and mechan-
les, tractor and machine operators,
truck operators, medical personnel,
timekeepers and clerks, guides and fire
scouts, and cupboard motor operators.
A complete tabulation of transporta-
ton facilities on various lakes has
been made.
Forty-nine organizations are CO.
operating. including resorts, loggers,
state forest service, municipalities,
county and state highway depart
ments, and local civilian defense units
Finally come the sources Of labor
supply, ranging from logging camps TO
municipal employees.
All these units compose the forest
fire fighting organization. It is COM
pletely organized and ready to func-
ton for the duration. Many OF the
units serve regularly every year, but
they have been enlarged and others
added because of the war emergency.
The flying eyes" of this organiza-
ton are the forest services two sea-
planes based on Shagawa lake.
Piloted by Carl M Nelson of Proc
tor, the seaplanes serve not only in
this area but in the entire forest.
The seaplanes provide quick means
of transportation, and because of their
speed in reaching remote points fires
are brought under control with small
crews, in many instances, before they
have time to spread.
The national forest wardens for the
three ranger districts follow:
La Croix-John Nelson, Crane lake;
Joe Kerntz, Hubacheks camp, Bass
wood lake.
Kawishiwi-J. A Rothman, Bear
Island lake: Louis Schlacter, Twin
lakes; william Hanson, state game
warden, Bert Gustason and Felix jar
vela, all of winton; Deputy Sheriff
Adolph j. Dolenshak, Sgt. Harry Cor
don of the q. s. customs patrol, Act
ing City Engineer John Palmgard, and
Game Warden Joe Roman, all of this
city, and Ted Ojala, White Iron.
Halfway-Charles Signor, Camp XII
wadinipi on the Stony river; Willard
Anderson, Club lake; r. j. Weiss, Me-
tional Forest resort on Gegoka lake;
Werner Esterberg, White Iron.
Regular fire control employees Of the
forest service for the three districts
are:
La Croix-Larry A. Anselment, ad-
ministrative guard; Urho Salminen.
Albert j. Lakner and Toivo NJ Maxi,
forest guards; August S. Jerich, Her
bert Carlson and Glenn P. Bruneau,
lookout guards. Assistant prevention
guards for Lac La Croix and Crooked
lake viii be named at a later date.
Kawishiwi-Ben S. Wiley, mechanic:
Arne S. Pennala, forest guard; E. G.
Wainio, II. o. Kauppila and Miss Mary
Tonkovich, lookout guards; Emil Niemi
and Herbert Buhite, emergency guards.
Frederick McReady, prevention guard.
and Edward Chachich, assistant, and
E. A Bailey, special emergency guard.
and Isaac T. Marten, assistant, viii go
on duty as soon as school is out.
Halfway-A1len Keath, forest guard:
Continued on Last Paxe)