284 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



be impractical, from the point of view 

 of both cost and effectiveness, to con- 

 struct a wide, clean line of the German 

 type. Fires originating in the brush 

 country burn with fearful rapidity, and 

 if left alone would sometimes sweep 

 over a line half a mile in width. The 

 cost of the construction of a line of this 

 width would obviously be prohibitive. 

 It was therefore decided to construct a 

 line from which an organized fight could 

 be directed. The usual method of com- 

 bating fires in this type of country is to 

 get well in advance of the approaching 

 fire and clear the ground of all inflam- 

 mable material for a few feet in width. 

 Then the country between the cleared 

 strip and the approaching fire is fired. 

 The two fires burn together and go out 

 for lack of inflammable material to burn. 

 This method of fire control is in com- 

 mon use all over the State of California, 

 but there are several serious difficulties 

 in combating a fire in this way. A back 

 fire line has to be run hurriedly through 

 very rough country; oftentimes it is 

 not rightly placed and frequently it is 

 not possible for a crew of reasonable 

 size to prevent the back fire, set out 

 along the hastily improvised line, from 

 jumping the slight barrier interposed. 



To offset these difficulties, the follow- 

 ing principles were outlined to govern 

 the construction of the new type of 

 line. It was to consist of three parts: 

 (1) The back fire line, which is a narrow 

 cut through the ground cover to mineral 

 soil — in all respects similar to a line 

 which a fire fighting crew woiild cut 

 out to combat a fire in any given type. 

 (2 and 3) To insure the successful 

 handling of any fire, this back fire line 

 was supplemented by the removal of the 

 more inflammable material, such as 

 down limbs, snags or clumps of heavy 

 brush, for an average width of 100 feet 

 in front and back of the cleared back 

 fire line, in order to reduce the extra 

 hazard. These two strips were to be 

 known as the front and back protection 

 strips. With this dangerous material 

 out of the way, a ranger in charge of an 

 efficient fire fighting crew could get 

 well in advance of an approaching fire 

 and back fire without fear of the back 

 fire getting away from him. Special 



emphasis was laid on the removal of 

 old snags in front of the line. These 

 snags very often are the means of throw- 

 ing sparks across the back fire line and 

 cause the loss of control. 



BoRiNS Holes with Augers for the Charges 



OF Powder with which the Tree is to be 



Blown Down. 



The detailed location of the line was 

 determined on in advance by rangers 

 who had had a long experience in back 

 firing work. Advantage was always 

 taken of topography that would render 

 the fighting of a fire less difficult. Roads, 

 trails, open plowed fields, were used 

 where they occurred as a part of the 

 back fire line. 



Wherever possible the line was also 

 made so that it could be used as the 

 basis for a patrolman's beat. Tool 

 boxes and telephone instruments will 

 be placed at frequent intervals along the 

 line to facilitate the control of an 

 approaching fire. Signs will be placed 

 at living springs so that no time will be 



