Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-01-08

StOckaded, fortified trading post that
stood, not in the center of an open
up the mountain where training of
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
trail 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 up 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 up the
steep forested incline and appears to
be making an inverted V-shaped burn
through young timber.
To hem the fire in and keep it 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 .
Polish lad, Leo Ladyak from Michigan,
a junior in forestry, struggling against
the binding gases 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 1t 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
the fire, to cool it first.
Dirt Sprayed Over Area
It isn't just tossed init Is thrown
with swish that sprays dirt over a
relatively large surface. For on this
1AS do Oll LllC HldJOllIy VI 1AeS Ill
back country. the only water used is
brought by the water boys to Stake
the thirst of the firefighters. It's dirt
and dirt alone that dampens the
flame on this forest fire front.
They use the progressive step-up
method The leader of each crew de-
ploys his men along the fire line with
approximately 15-foot spacings be-
firaf;rhfar
moves forward along the fire front
filing past the leader until the last
man comes up to the leader.
/ When the leader shouts each man
in the crew stops to take over about
crew cuts and clears the brush and
crew, with shovels and PulaSkis.
The Pulaskis is used to cut the roots
and loosen the ground so that the
shovel can complete the trench max
ing job, job that is not finished until
to mineral soil.
Suddenly, new sound comes from
below, like the roar of a wind. More
fire? No-it's the torch man. Out o.
the smoke and trees below emerges' g
firefighter equipped with a roaring
torch. Fire for fighting forest fires.
Because man cannot work effec.
lively right next to smoke and flames
the fire line is built few feet ava!
from the edges of the fire, leaving al
unburned strip like frill at the edg'
of the fire pattern.
Now comes the job of the torch mar
to set fire to grass, weeds, brush ane
twigs between the trench and the rim
of fire. No fire line is any good unit
it is black clear to the edge.
Moving his fire breathing want
methodically over the forest lite
along the borderline between trench
and burning forest, the torch maj
pauses on his way up the mountain
slope.
It's Bill Fencl from Chicago, a frosl
forester at Purdue university. With hi
1876 pounds he Is readily capable o
shouldering the 35-pound pack with I
metal cylinder containing liquid pro
pane under high pressure.
A valve at the top Of the Hquit
chamber releases propane gas which
rushes down flexible tube to joil
with air and be ignited for the torcl
mans earth-scorching job.
Climbing up the zig-zag course o
the fire line we come upon q fire
fighter taking swig from the small
canteen that hangs from the belt o
every strawboss. want drink" Of
; fers a perspiring flame queller from
} Whitefish. Mont.
; It was Roy Evenson, second-yea