Canadian Forestry Journal, May, 1919 



223 



'PLANES AS SCOUTS IN BIG CONFLAGRATIONS 



In view of the United States Forest Service, 

 aircraft would be useful not only in the dis- 

 covery of fires at their origin, but also in scout- 

 ing large fires while in progress, as in the case 

 of the great Minnesota disaster, thus minimiz- 

 ing the material destruction and the loss of life. 

 The experience of forest officers in fighting fires 

 in the National Forests if the Western States 

 has emphasized the importance of having an ef- 

 ficient scouting service on every large fire. 

 Where a fire is confined to one watershed its 

 progress can usually be determined from some 

 high point. But often a fire may be burning in 

 several canyons at the same time. The general 

 topography of the country, but more especially 

 the depth and width of the canyons, may in- 

 fluence wind conditions to such an extent that a 

 fire in one canyon may be headed in one direc- 

 tion, while in the next canyon the fire will be 

 burning in the opposite direction. 



If the fire covers a fairly large area — for in- 

 stance, ten or more square miles of a rough 

 mountainous country containing no inhabitants 

 and practically no transportation system, and 

 where timber and underbrush are so thick that 

 trails must be cut before a pack outfit can reach 

 a suitable site with a camp outfit for the fire 

 fighters — the difficulties encountered by a fire 

 scout are readily realized. In much of the 

 western country it is difficult to travel on foot 

 more than a mile an hour, owing to steep slopes 

 and thick underbrush. The use of aircraft for 

 scouting purposes under such conditions should 

 prove most efficacious. 



The idea of utilizing airplanes in this kind 

 of work is not, of course, altogether new. Air- 

 craft were successfully used in directing the 

 forces engaged in fighting the big fire in mun- 

 ition warehouses in New Jersey some months 

 ago. 



It IS probably premature to discuss the value 

 of aircraft in actual forest fire suppression 

 work. Some types of aircraft would lend them- 

 selves to the transportation of fire fighters. The 

 suggesiton has also been made that bombing 

 planes could be used to advantage in that fire- 

 proof bombs, consisting of certain chemicals, 

 could be hurled on fires in sufficient quantities 

 to extinguish them. Haw practicable a scheme 

 of this kind might be remains to be seen. It 

 goes without saying, however, that the adoption 



of aircraft for patrolling the forested areas of 

 the country will create a large field for experi- 

 ments of many kinds. 



'CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS". 



The following are new "contributing mem- 

 bers" of the Canadian Forestry Association, 

 supplementing the list hitherto published: 



C. Mickle 



D. L. White. Jr. 

 R. Southam 



Mrs. H. D. Warren 

 Fred M. Tennant 



John G. Turnbull 

 E. Thomas 

 Gill & Fortune 

 Sigmund Samuel 

 T. Walklate 



The Soper Lumber Co. Shives Lumber Co. 

 McAuliffe-Davis Lumber R. W. Reford 



Co. George Creak 



Western Retail Lumber- H. L. Putnam 



men's Association. Estate of Geo. H. Eaton 



Merkley Bros., Ltd. 

 Frank J. D. Barnjum 

 John Fenderson & Co. 



A. Joly de Lotbiniere 

 Francis W. Caulfeild 

 A. C. Maclndoe. 



WHERE B. C. WOOD GOES. 



The United Kingdom was the biggest pur- 

 chaser of British Columbia lumber during 1918. 

 the next best customers being Japan, China, 

 Australia, Africa, South Sea Islands, and South 

 America, in the order named. 



Douglas fir leads all other woods in the total 

 cut for 1918. with cedar second, spruce third 

 and hemlock fourth. 



The 1918 pulp production showed sulphite 

 66,054 tons, sulphate 12.188 tons, and ground 

 wood 91,145 tons. 



BRITAIN REFORESTING. 



Two hundred thousand acres of forest land 

 in Great Britain are to be replanted, at a cost 

 for planting and maintenance the first ten years, 

 of $17,000,000. according to an announcement 

 by the Government. The trees will replace 

 some of the heavy timber cut down during the 

 war. and provide additional forests so that the 

 country may be independent of other timber 

 sources in case of emergency. 



