The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1947-05-29
All Citizens Called On
To Prevent Range,
Farm and Forest Fires
BY Rutledge Parker
State Forester

hundreds of millions OF dollars
annually in crop, range, ranch
homes and buildings is a chal-
lenge to every citizen and tax
payer in Montana. Add the pres
ervation of natural resources -
timber, scenic beauty, recreation
and watershed-and you have a
picture of the goal and purpose of
Montana's Rural Fire Fighters
Service. Schools, All Clubs, home
demonstration councils, farm and
livestock groups, Future Farmer
Chapters and similar bodies a
do much toward furthering in
terest in the importance of this
organization.
George w. Gustafson
named the State Coordinator for
the Rural Fire Fighters Service
(MRFFS) at its annual meeting
held in Bozeman on April 4, 1947.
Mr.. Gustafson is the County
Agent Supervisor of the Montana
Extension Service. He has been
detailed to serve in the State rural
fire protection work for a six
months period, beginning April IS.
A small appropriation was made
by the 1947 Legislature toward
the State Coordinator's salary and
expenses. The balance of this cost
will be contributed by the several
cooperating agencies. The State
Coordinator is the only paid en-
ployee, serving in an overall
liason capacity to coordinate
efforts of a comparatively large
number of persons.
The Montana Rural Fire Fight
ers Service is a volunteer organ
ization. Local crews + organized
among the immediate residents,
all of whom cooperate in the pre-
vention and suppression of rural
fires. This Service originated in
1912 as the Montana branch of the
Forest Fire Fighters Service"
organized during the war as an
emergency fire prevention mea-
sure to protect rural areas under
the Office of Civilian Defense.
In the Spring of 1945 the name
of the organization was changed
to Montana's Rural Fire Fighters
Service.
Largely as a result of the sue
cessful pioneering work done by
the Forest Fire Fighters Serv-
ice," the State Legislature en-
acted a rural fire law in 1945
fChapt. 173. Laws of 1945). This
law authorized counties to CO.
operate in protection of range,
farm and forest resources from
fire.
About forty million acres of
range and crop lands, principally
in Eastern Montana, come under
the fire control program. Co.
operating organizations are: Land
Management agencies of the State
and Federal governments (U. S.
Depts. of Agriculture and Inter-
ior); Montana Extension Service;
State Highway Patrol; State Fish
and Game Commission; and or
gained private forest fire pro-
lection agencies. Local Personnel
of these agencies, trained in fire
prevention and suppression tech
niques, have offered their serv-
ices to the MRFFS fire crews.
The eleven district coordinators
do the very important contact
work between the State Coor6i-
nator, County Commissioners and
other cooperating groups. They
are field men of the various fed
eral services, Indian, Forest, and
Soil Conservation. The County
Agents also are very active, par.
ticularly in the educational part
of the work.
Much has been accomplished
within the organization. A tota.
of $4,000 acres of range and ap'
proximately 100 acres of crop:
were burned over in 1916 as com
pared to so to rs thousand acre!
annually before the Service wa'
organized in 1912. While A of the
139 fires reported in 1916 were
man-caused, only 10 resulted from
stubble burning which has beer
one of the chief causes of fires il
other years. The total loss wa
$150,2O5, but the total estimated
savings from the efforts of $50
volunteers under the MRFFS wa
$515,675.
Training courses for voluntee'
fire fighter crews as well as edu
cational programs play am import
ant role in the program. It ha
been suggested that rural ant
urban schools could contribute
great deal by devoting at leas
one hour in both the spring ant
fall to review of fire as an enemy
Mr.. G~ustafson, Extension Service
Bozeman, will be very glad to fur
nish materials and information
for this work to all groups durinI
the 1947 fire season.
The coordinated efforts o
trained personnel and equipmen
from all agencies are importan
and necessary. However, of equa
if not greater importance is a fir
consciousness and willingness Q
rural residents to volunteer thei
services when and whereVe