80 FOREST PROTECTION 



Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Kentucky, West Virginia, New 

 Hampshire, and certain fire districts in northern Maine. 



6. METHODS OF CONTROL AND SUPPRESSION 



Speed of attack is the great essential in successful fire control in 

 the forest as well as the city. If fires are discovered and reported 

 promptly, and men and equipment are available and accessible, a 



FIG. 42. Constructing a fire break on the "Elfin" forests, composed largely of 

 chaparral, manzanita, etc., in southern California. The fire menace is very seri- 

 ous in this region. The elimination of all inflammable material on this strip 

 assists in stopping fires along the ridges. They may also be used as vantage 



points for back-firing. 



minimum of loss may be suffered. It has been said that almost every 

 fire can be stopped by the stamping of the foot. 



Much progress has been made in advancing the technique of fire 

 control, notably in the three Pacific Coast States and the northern 

 Rocky Mountains, where the forest fire hazard is most severe. 



The methods of control may be summarized as follows: 



1. Direct attack with tools. The shovel is the most effective fire- 

 fighting tool. Earth is applied directly to the advancing 

 flames of surface fires. Inflammable material, such as fallen 

 logs, snags (dead standing trees) brush, and leaves, are cut 



