DIVISION OF AIR SERVICE 



GENERAL 



The summer of 1955 will long be remembered in this Department as the 

 worst fire season on record. Perhaps coming events cast their shadow in the 

 unusually early Spring, Break-up occurred between two and four weeks earlier 

 than usual and virtually all our aircraft were at their operating bases on or 

 before May 1st and even then it was not too early. During this month two 

 large fires occurred in the Chapleau and Soo Districts and the full force of 

 the Region *s aircraft was required to deal with them. 



In the month of June another 4000-acre fire broke out in the Goulais 

 Lake area and this again was purely an aeroplane fire. That is to say, it 

 could only be reached by air and everything had to be flown in and out. This 

 was only one of a number that started in that month and early July, resulting 

 in the tremendous outbreaks north of Blind River and in the vicinity of 

 Chapleau, Sudbury and Gogama. Towards the end of the fire season there was 

 also a serious outbreak in the Kapuskasing District. 



Paradoxically, most of the fires were in the eastern part of the 

 Province and their numbers and proportions were such that men and equipment 

 had to be flown from the West in order to cope with it. Because of the 

 tremendous demand, everything used in fighting fires was in short supply and 

 as a case in point, the Department was buying hose as fast as the 

 manufacturers could produce it and the urgency was such that it was even 

 flown from England. 



Never in the history of the Service were our pilots and maintenance 

 staff called upon to meet such exacting and demanding conditions. Our 

 pilots flew from daylight until dark and in many cases in smoke haze through 

 which it was almost impossible to see. The rescue of fire crews from areas 

 surrounded, or about to be surrounded, by fire were common-place and the 

 supply of food and equipment to the fire-fighting crews was a herculean task 

 requiring the highest degree of skill. 



Altogether the Service amassed the highest total of flying hours ever 



attained in ore year (17,785:10 hours) and I think the total of 182 hoxirs 



flown by one of our pilots in thirty days is perhaps another all-time record 



- 1 - 



