PROTECTIVE MEASURES. 655 



In such localities more than half the battle against forest 

 fires is won, when the protection of the forest from fire meets 

 with sympathy from the neighbouring villagers. 



In France and Germany, it is usual to call out the soldiers 

 of a regiment quartered near the forest to assist in extinguish- 

 ing extensive forest fires. 



The cost of extinguishing fires varies between 20 and 50 per 

 cent, of the damage done ; in Saxony, 1889-93, it was 23 per 



cent. 



b. Ground Fires. 



The burning area must be isolated by digging trenches, 

 which must be deep enough to prevent the fire from finding 

 its way below them. Water should be poured on the burning 

 turf, or soil from the trenches heaped on to it. 



c. /Surface Fires. 



The fire should be beaten out with green branches as 

 already explained. Wherever there is a dense undergrowth, 



Fig. 290. Rake used in protection against fire. 



as in the case of heather, it is better to beat down the fire 

 vertically, but where the soil-covering is low, the branches 

 should be used backwards and forwards like brooms to sweep 

 it out. 



At the spot where the fire commenced, workmen should 

 clear away a strip of the soil-covering in order to isolate the 

 fire. Iron rakes, Fig. 290, of a special kind can be used for 

 this purpose with advantage, and uriburned litter may thus be 

 drawn by the teeth of the rakes towards the- workmen, or 

 burning litter be pushed away by using the rake reversed. 



Freshly dug up earth may be thrown on the fire. 



A clearance, or fire-trace, may be made in front of the fire 

 to stop its further progress. The distance- of this from the 



