HOW THE FOREST IS GUARDED 97 



flames themselves creates a draft and sends firebrands 

 and blazing bits of bark whirling ahead many rods to 

 set new fires ahead of the advancing front. Close 

 approach to the fire is out of the question, and only by 

 clearing a wide strip far ahead of the fire and "back 

 firing" can the crown fires be stopped. The idea in back 

 firing is to start a small fire on the edge of a cleared 

 strip which is permitted and encouraged to burn against 

 the wind toward the advancing blaze. The fire line, of 

 course, is carefully guarded by a line of men to prevent 

 this fire from leaping over it and burning the timber 

 it is desired to save. As the back fire burns, of course, 

 it consumes all brush and inflammable material and 

 leaves nothing for the main fire to feed upon. As the 

 two fires approach a terrific draft is created and the 

 two flames rush to meet each other with a loud roar and 

 after burning fiercely for a time, gradually die out. The 

 front of the fire having been disposed of, the ground 

 fire left burning is then taken care of. In some cases 

 where a crown fire has assumed large proportions owing 

 to high winds and long drought, human aid is futile; 

 only rain or a change in wind to drive the flames back 

 upon the burned-over area can quench the blaze. 



Fighting a ground or surface fire, while laborious, 

 is not so dangerous, as the fire makes headway slowly. 

 Different methods of fighting are used depending on the 

 ground cover, soil, topography, and water supply. In 

 the Adirondacks a ground fire must be fought by cutting 

 a trench around it, as the deep layer of humus burns 

 like peat. In rocky soil dynamite may be used to dig 

 this trench far better than men with mattocks and 

 shovels. In case of a surface fire where only the light 

 litter is burning, a cedar brush or wet burlap bag 

 may be used to beat out the fire, but care must be taken 



