Browning chief., 1947-05-30
All Citizens Called On
To Prevent Range,
Farm and Forest Fires
By Rutledge Parker
State Forester

The protection from fire of hun
dreds of millions of dollars annually
in crop, range, ranch homes and
buildings is challenge to every
citizen and taxpayer in Montana
Add the preservation of natural re-
sources-timber, scenic beauty, rec
reation and watershed and. you
have a picture of the goal and pur-
pose of Montana's Rural Fire Fight
ers Service. Schools, All Clubs,
home demonstration councils, farm
and licestoc!< groups, Future Farmer
Chapters and similar bodies can do
much toward furthering interest in
the importance of this organization.
George w. Gustafson was named
the State Coordinator for the Rural
Fire Fighters Service (MRFFS) at it's
annual meeting held in Bozeman on
April 4, 1947.
Mr.. Gustafson is the County Agent
Service. He has been detailed TO
serve in the State rural fire protcc-
ton work for a siX-month's period,
beginning April IS. A small appro-
priation was made by the l947 Legi-
stature toward the Ctatc Coordinat-
or's salary and expenses. The bal
ance of this cost will be contributed
by the several cooperating agencies.
The State Coord;nator is the only
paid employee, serving in an overall
liaSon capacity to coordinate efforts
of comparatively large number of
persona
The Montana Rural Fire Fighters
Service is volunteer organization.
Local crews are organized among the
immediate residents, all of whom
cooperate in the prevention 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 measure to protect rural
areas under the Office of Civilian
Defense. In the Spring of l945 the
name of the organization was
changed to Montana's Rural Fire
Fighters Service.
Largely as result of the successful
pioneering work done by the Forest
Fire Fighters Service" the State
Legislature enacted rural fire law
in 1945 (Chapt. 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 East
ern Montana, come under the fire
control program. Cooperating organ
izations are: Land Management
agencies of the State and Federal
governments (U. S. Depts. of Agli-
culture and INTERIOR: Montana En-
tension Service; State Highway Pa
troll; State Fish and Game Commits
sion; and organized private forest
fire protection agencies. Local per
sonnel of these agencies, trained in
fire prevention and suppression tech
niques, have offered their services
to the MRFFS fire crews.
The eleven district coordinators do
the very important contact work be-
tween the State Coordinator, County
Commissioners and other cooperat-
ing groups. They are field men of
the various federal cervices, Indian,
Forest. and Soil Conservation The
County Agents also are very active,
particularly in the educational part
of the work.
Much has been accomplished with
in the organization. A total of 1900
acres of range and approximately
100 acres of crops were burned over
in 1916 as compared to SO to rs
thousand acres annually before the
Service was organized in 1912. While
A of the 139 fires reported in 1916
were man-caused, only 10 resulted
from stubble burning which has been
one of the chief causes of fires in
other years. The total loss was
$l50,205, but the total estimated
savings from the efforts of 1906
volunteers under the I:2FF> vas
35l5.875. ---.