HERMAN H. CHAPMAN 59 



used to scrape out a path in front of the blaze, over which 

 it cannot burn. These methods will work in fighting a 

 fire burning along the surface in leaf litter. Such a fire 

 does not travel very fast. Water is always useful, but 

 is seldom available when wanted and cannot be carried 

 any great distance over rough ground. When a fire is 

 so situated that wagons can be driven in to it, water can 

 be used best by dipping cloths or brush into pails and 

 beating out the fire. A pail of water so used goes a long 

 way, while if thrown on the fire it is wasted at once. 

 Sometimes fire extinguishers can be used with good effect. 

 They hold about two gallons and are a good load for a 

 man. About 100 to 150 feet of blaze can be put out by 

 one charge, so their use is limited to emergency calls, 

 when a fire can be reached at once, and is apt to get be- 

 yond control. Fires burning in tall grass or dry brush 

 sometimes travel as fast as 5 or 6 miles an hour, and it 

 is not possible to light them by direct attack. Such fires 

 must be checked by back firing. To start a back fire, 

 some line must be found along which it is possible to 

 set a fire that will burn against the wind toward the ap- 

 proaching blaze. A stream, an old road — even a foot path, 

 may be used. If none of these is present, an artificial 

 line must be constructed, and the fire set along its edge. 

 If the back fire can oe prevented from crossing the bar- 

 rier, it will put an end to the blaze. Even in smaller and 

 less dangerour, tires it is often more sensible to rake out 

 a line at a little distance from the fire, and start a back 

 fire toward it than to exhaust the men in beating out 

 the main fire, where they will be bothered by heat and 

 smoke. 



Fire-Breaks. 



But there are some places where the danger from fires 

 is very great, because of accumulations of inflammable 

 debris or long grass, and at the same time the property 



