Evening star., 1951-02-28
Fires in Forests
And Brush Keen
Firen1en Busy
D. G.. and Nearby
Companies Respond
To Scores of Calls

OomPonteS kesPond
To Scores of Calls
Fire companies in the District
and nearby areas today were re-
covering from one of their busiest
days in years, caused by an epi-
demic of brush and forest fires.
The District Fire Department
handled nearly SO calls for brush
fires during the day, and the Hy-
attsville and Capitol Heights Fire
Boards In Prince Georges County,
Md, reported about 70 calls.
Fire officials attributed the
brush fires to a series of causes,
explaining this was the season"
for the outbreak. A succession of
heavy gusts of wind, reaching as
high as IS miles an hour. and
with a sustained velocity of 80
miles, spread the blaZes which
mostly occurred in woods. Also
to blame was the combination of
dry grass and carelessness of
smokers and children.
At one time, the District Fire
Department received nearly 10
calls within. half an hour from
people who could find no appar-
ent reason for smoke in their
houses. In the Southeast, smoke
from the many blazes dulled the
mid-afternoon skies.
Threatens Military Warehouse.
Blazing brush for a time threat
ened a warehouse area at Fort
Meade, Md. About TOO soldiers
from the military installation bat
tied two blazes which burned over
several thousand acres on the main
part of the post, according to
Charles Eckman. civilian chief of
the Fort Meade f1remen.
The fires broke out in the south
west and northwest portions short
ly after noon.
Both fires were under control
about 8 pm. but the southwest
blaze broke out again half an
hour later and burned for 80 min
uteS before it again was brought
under control.
A new Fort Meade blaze started
early last night, but winds made
it spread to swamp, where it
burned itself out.
Near viers Min Village.
The heavily populated Mont
gomery County area also suffered
a brush fire near Rockville shortly
after noon. 1t spread across a
wide area within two hours and
necessitated calling out all fire.
fighting equipment in the lower
county. The fire was controlled
before it reached Viers Mill Viii
lage, It was said to have started
on the Wilkerson estate. about 3
miles south of Rockville.
Three members of the Kensing-
ton Fire Department suffered
minor burns while fighting the
fire. They are Capt. A u. God
frey, 1t. Henry Ballanger and Pvt.
Thomas O'Connor. Capt. Godfrey
was treated on the scene for burns
about the eyes. 1t. Ballanger suf-
fered burns on both hands, while
Pvt. O'Connor was burned about
the neck and on the right hand.
Another stubborn fire. later in
the day, burned barn and a
woodland area at Highland, Md.
Fire companies from Sandy Spring,
Burtonsville and Clarkeyille fought
the blaze for several hours during
the early evening.
The Hyattsville and Capitol
Heights Fire Boards reported one
fire. which involved a small build
ing located in a three-acre brush
area at Thirty-f1rst and Nichol-
son streets, West Hyattsville.
Three alarms were turned in be-
fore the blaze was controlled.
One of several structures on the
Murray Hurst estate was de-
stroyed. The manor house was
destroyed by fire in 1949, Hyatts-
vile firemen said. They were
joined in fighting the fire by COM
panies from Brentwood, Mount
Rainier, Cottage City and Blad-
ensburg, Md. All buildings on the
estate were vacant. No estimate
was given Of damage.
In Queens Chapel, Md, a brush
fire kept half dozen companies
busy for several hours. as they
fought to keep the blaze from
reaching storage tanks of the
Washington Gas Light CO.
Southeast ID. C. Fires.
Most of the fires in the Dis
trict occurred in the Southeast
area. Among them were blazes in
the rear of the 1000 block of S
street Sc, where woods became
ignited not far from houses; a
brush fire at Second and Oakwood
streets Sc. not far from Boiling
Air Force Base, and another at
Forty-fourth street and Bowen
road Sc. A brush blaze in the
rear of the 1900 block of Talbert
street NE. filled the immediate
area with smoke.
Virginia State Forest Warden in
Fairfax County Marrel c. Pfalz-
graf said there were more than
a dozen woods and brush fires in
the county that kept fire COM
panies busy all day and part of
the night.
The biggest blaze burned over
100 acres of woods and fields in
the vicinity of Mount Vernon High
School and the United States
Coast Guard station on Telegraph