THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE FOREST FIRE 55 



wake. A mammoth forest fire in Wisconsin 

 many years ago burned over an area of two thou- 

 sand square miles. It killed about fourteen 

 hundred people and destroyed many millions of 

 dollars worth of timber and other property. A 

 big forest fire in Michigan laid waste a tract forty 

 miles wide and one hundred and eighty miles 

 long. More than four billion feet of lumber, 

 worth $10,000,000, was destroyed and several 

 hundred people lost their lives. In recent 

 years, a destructive forest fire in Minnesota 

 caused a loss of $25,000,000 worth of timber 

 and property. 



There are several different kinds of forest 

 fires. Some burn unseen two to four feet be- 

 neath the surface of the ground. Where the soil 

 contains much peat, these fires may persist for 

 weeks or even months. Sometimes, they do not 

 give off any noticeable smoke. Their fuel is the 

 decaying wood, tree roots and similar material in 

 the soil. These underground fires can be stopped 

 only by flooding the area or by digging trenches 

 down to the mineral soil. The most effectual 

 way to fight light surface fires is to throw sand 

 or earth on the flames. Where the fire has not 

 made much headway, the flames can sometimes 



