1074 JOURNAL OF FORKSTRV 



both in instruction and investigation ; the second is in the hands of S. J. 

 Record : the third will be handled bv R. C. Bryant. 



The most important news to report for Missoula District is the result 

 of the fight with the fires during the season 1917. This was a pretty 

 good test of the fire-fighting machinery which has been developed. The 

 season was worse than any since 1910 and in a great many respects 

 climatic conditions were less favorable. The records show that for 

 1910 the length of the dry spell — that is, the period during which not 

 to exceed .1 of an inch of rain fell at any one time — was 66 days; for 

 1914, 62 days, and for 1917. 93 days. The results under these severe 

 conditions are very encouraging. At no time did the organization break 

 down. Certainly it was strained at a few points and for short periods, 

 but on the whole its integrity was not threatened at any time. The fol- 

 lowing are some of the preliminary figures, which may be changed upon 

 compilation of more careful and final figures: Total number of fires, 

 1,422, divided as follows: Class A — that is, less tha'n one- fourth acre, 

 654; Class B, one-fourth to not more than 10 acres, 401 ; Class C, any- 

 thing over 10 acres, 367. Total area burned over, 236,000 acres. Mer- 

 chantable timber, 67,000 acres; young growth, 134,000 acres; old burn 

 or barren, 35,000 acres ; M feet merchantable timber, 214,000,000. This 

 represents 13/200 of i per cent of the total area in District i and 4/10 

 of I per cent of the total merchantable timber. Causes are reported as 

 follows: Railroads, 317; brush burning, 179; campers, 253; lightning, 

 185; incendiary, 190; all others, 398. 



During the 1917 fire season the Missoula fire department was called 

 out to protect the town of Lolo Springs, which was threatened by one 

 of the largest forest fires. The department sent an automobile, to 

 which a pump was connected, which would throw two large streams of 

 water. The fire fighters saved the town, so that it was unnecessary to 

 use the apparatus in protecting the building, but it was used to very good 

 advantage along the wagon road between the Springs and the Bitter- 

 root Valley. The wagon road was used as a fire line for about five 

 miles of its length. This automobile apparatus was used to throw 

 streams of water on the dangerous pieces of fire as it backed down to 

 the road. There are a great many fires which can be reached from 

 automobile roads, and it might be well worth while to have one or more 

 such fire-fighting apparatuses brought into service to a larger extent. 



