THE PROTECTION OF FOREST FROM FIRE 



47 



this belongs to another person and one's own forest seems in danger, there is 

 a great temptation to sacrifice it. 



A second principle in back firing is to burn over as small an area as 

 possible. The counter fires are therefore set only as far ahead of the fire as is 

 necessary to make them efl'ective. Very often, however, there is only one point 

 from which a back fire can safely be started, so that the fighters have no choice. 



If it is found that a back fire is necessary, a favorable point is selected 

 directly in front of the fire, from which to set the new fire. This must be a 

 point where it is safe to start a back fire, such as a road, fire line, stream, or 

 swamp. The leaves are ignited at points five feet to a rod apart for a distance 

 not greater than the estimated width of the head of the fire. These small 

 fires gradually meet and form a continuous line, eating back against the wind. 

 A part of the crew is stationed across the road or other break from which 

 the back fire is started and put out at once the small fires which may result 

 from the sparks blown over from the back fire. 



The meeting of the two fires stops at once the head of the main fire. It 

 is usually possible then to attack the wings with the ordinary methods of 

 fighting. It is necessary to attack the wings at once, particularly if there is 

 a strong wind, for otherwise each wing of the old fire would soon form an in- 

 dependent fire with a well-developed head. It is necessary, also, that a num- 

 ber of men be stationed where the original fire and the back fire meet in order 

 to extinguish smoldering fires in tops, logs, and other debris. 



Patrol After a Fire is Extinguished. 



A fire is never out until the last spark is extinguished. Often a log or 

 snag will smolder unnoticed after the flames have apparently been conquered, 

 only to break out afresh with a rising wind. After the fire-fighting crew has 

 left the ground it is always well to assign at least one man to patrol the edges 

 of the burned area until it is certain that the fire is entirely out. This may 

 not be for several days. 



