Plate IX, Fig. 2 — A Fire Line in the Adirondacks 



organizing for fire protection. In un- 

 developed mountain regions it is im- 

 possible without good trails to get to a 

 fire in a reasonable time and with 

 means for fighting it. The trails in the 

 National Forests are permanently con- 

 structed and are designed for saddle 

 and pack horse travel. (PI. VII, fig. 

 I.) While their first purpose is to fa- 

 cilitate patrol and access to a fire, they 

 may be used as starting points for back- 

 firing, and will often check or actually 

 stop a small surface fire. 



Special Fire Lines 



When there are no roads or trails 

 which will answer the purpose, it may 

 be advisable to construct special fire 

 lines. (PI. IX, fig. 2.) Special fire 

 lines are necessarily expensive, and are 

 used where the property to be protected 

 is very valuable. They are most used 

 in woodlands in the better settled por- 

 tions of the country, where land values 

 are relatively high. In many cases it is 

 advisable in a valuable woodlot to con- 

 struct here and there a special fire line 

 at points where it is not worth while or 

 practicable to build a road or trail. 

 666 



Thus, special lines are frequently run 

 along the boundaries or at strategic 

 points connecting roads. It is a sound 

 principle, however, that special fire lines 

 should never be built where a road or 

 trail can be used for the same purpose. 



In the less intensive forest conditions, 

 such as occur in the lumber woods, spe- 

 cial fire lines have so far been con- 

 structed only under exceptional condi- 

 tions. In a large forest, the first work 

 is to open up the area for communica- 

 tion by the construction of trails, and, 

 where possible, of roads. Like all other 

 work in forestry involving an invest- 

 ment, the use of fire lines must be based 

 on sound business principles. They 

 should be used only where necessary 

 and where their expense is justified by 

 the returns. 



Special fire lines may be classed un- 

 der the following heads: (a) Fully 

 cleared lines; (b) tree-cleared lines; 

 (c) ground-cleared lines. 



Fully Cleared Lines 



The ideal fire line is a completely 

 cleared strip, from which are removed 



