Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1943-01-02

stood, not in the center of an oper
UP the mountain where training o.
man versus fire is to take place this
afternoon.
With axes saws, shovels and Pula-
skis in hand, men start toward the
fire moving ahead In single file. The
tral leads up to a young stand OF
ponderosa pine and Douglas fir which
spread over most of the mountain
slope.
Simultaneous Attack
The saw crew first threads I'D into
timbered slopes and Is out of sight.
Both sides Of the fire are attacked
simultaneously-the mop-up crew is
the last to enter on the fire line.
BY now the fire is moving I'D the
steep foreSted incline and appears to
be making an inverted V-shaped burn
through young timber.
To hem the fire in and keep 1t from
spreading, shallow trenches are cut
just outside the burning edge of the
fire, with Pulaski and shovel. pine
needles and duff are cleared away
down to the mineral soil.
In the thick of the smoke is a
Polish lad, Leo Ladyak from Michigan,
junior in forestry, struggling against
the binding gaSSes with tears In his
eyes. Tears blur the eyes Of everyone
in the path Of acrid fumes from the
smoking forest.
All up and down the hillside as far
as one can see through the smoking
area and beyond there comes the
sound Of shovels gritting into forest
floor-grate Of Pulaskis biting into
stubborn roots of brush and young
trees standing in the way of fire line |
Timber" comes the cry through |
the haze above, and a tree crashes
down so it will not become a torch |
TO throw sparks into unburned terri |
tory
Everywhere there Is action: brush,
limbs and small pieces of wood are
moved out of reach Of the edge OF
the fire. Everywhere fire is attacked.
Shovelfuls Of earth are thrown upon
,he fire, to cool it first
Dirt Sprayed Over Area
1t isn't Just tossed init is thrown
With swish that sprays dirt over a
large surface. For on this
ire as on the majority OF fires in
'ack country, the only water used Is
'rought by the water boys to sIake
he thirst Of the firefighters. It's dirt
nd dirt alone that dampens the
lame on this forest fire front.
They use the progressive step-up
Method. The leader of each crew de-
Toys his men along the fire line with ,
approximately 15-foot spacings be-
ween each firefighter. Each man
moves forward along the fire front
ling past the leader until the last j
ian comes up to the leader. !
When the leader shouts each man
the crew stops to take over about Q
feet OF fire line building The front
rev cuts and clears the brush and :
mber. Next in line comes the digging /
'ew, with shovels and Pulaskis. I
The Pulaskis is used to cut the roots
nd loosen the ground so that the =
lovel can complete the trench max
g job, Job that is not finished until Z
lie cutting and shoveling gets down :,
mineral soil
Suddenly, new sound comes from :
Glow, like the roar of a wind. More :
re? No-it's the torch man. Out of =
e smoke and trees below energies a :.
refighter equipped with a roaring y
rch. Fire for fighting forest fires. -
Because man cannot work effec- =
1ely right next to smoke and flames m
e fire line is built a few feet away eli
ON the edges Of the fire, leaving an M
burned strip like a frill at the edge hi
the fire pattern. M
Now comes the job of the torch man
to set fire to grass, weeds. brush and ~,
igs between the trench and the rim an
fire. No fire line is any good until M
is black clear to the edge. 10,
Moving his fire breathing wand or
,thodically over the forest litter of
ing the borderline between trench We
d burning forest, the torch man ca
uses on his way up the mountain
Pc tr,
It's Bill Fencl from Chicago, a frosh ha
ester at Purdue university. With his Iiv
pounds he Is readily capable Of tn,
,uldering the 35-pound pack with a ses
tai cylinder containing liquid pro- pa,
ne under high pressure. fhs
valve at the top Of the LIQUID fro
lmber releases propane gas which !
hes down flexible tube to ioin WI
h air and be ignited for the torch Pc,
ms earth-scorching Job. eol
up the zig-zag course Of fes
fire line we come upon a fire. fuI
liter taking swig from the small str
teen that hangs from the belt of chs
~ strawboss want q drtnk?" Of tiol
a perspiring flame queller from
fetish, Mont. g
was Roy Evenson, second-year oce