512 



Canadian Forestry journal, December, 1919 



few miles of a patrolling warden before discov- 

 ery. There, unfortunately, was a high range 

 between him and the fire, and the wind was so 

 deflected that it was impossible for the warden 

 to see the smoke. The first reports of the fire 

 came from the prairies, miles away. From there 

 the smoke was clearly visible. Even when the 

 general location of the fire was known and fire- 

 fighting gangs were sent in, these people could 

 see no sign of fire until they were within a few 

 hundred yards of it. Now, had there been an 

 air patrol the fire would have been discovered 

 the day it started. To a person unfamiliar with 

 the mountains this story might seem almost im- 

 possible, but a most rigid investigation has es- 

 tablished its truth. 



THE SQUARED MAP. 



Once a fire is discovered, the all-important 

 matter is to definitely locate it so that the fire- 

 fighting gang may reach it promptly. The 

 "squared map," so much used in the war, offers 

 facilities for an airman exactly locating a fire 

 and passing on word to the fire-fighting organ- 

 ization, also in possession, of course, of a 

 "squared map." And that means that the fire- 

 fighters at once know where to go and how. 

 This information may mean the saving of many 

 valuable hours in the beginning of the fight 

 against the fire and a few hours at that time 

 may mean the difference between the destruc- 

 tion of a few acres of forest and the destruction 

 of tens or perhaps even hundreds of square 

 miles. 



There is another important use of these maps 

 in regard to fire-fighting. The maps give ac- 

 curate information as to the conformation and 

 physical features of the district. As already 

 intimated, these have an important bearmg on 

 wind direction — a vital consideration in fire- 

 fighting. These also constitute the chief con- 

 siderations in the decision as to how a fire is 

 to be fought. From an accurate map the fire- 

 fighter at once knows whether the fire threatens 

 specially valuable timber. He also knows 

 whether there are any natural features, rocks, 

 water, open areas, which can be used as a na- 

 tural line of defence against the fire. This and 

 other information he can get from the maps 

 gives the fire-fighter the knowledge he requires 

 in reaching a decision as to how to lay out his 

 fighting forces. For it must be remembered 

 that fighting a battle with a fire is like fightmg 

 a battle with human beings. Generalship is 

 vital, and when a general knows all about the 

 "lay of the land" where the battle is being 

 fought he has information that may readily 



mean the difference between a victory and a 

 defeat. 



SCOUTING A RAGING FIRE. 



There are two other matters in connection 

 with forest fire protection in which it is ex- 

 pected that aircraft may help materially rapid 

 transportation of men and supplies to the scene 

 of the fire, and scouting operations during the 

 progress of a fire. As to the scouting opera- 

 tions, these are of great importance if a fire 

 attains any great size. A man who is directing 

 fire-fighting operations in such a fire is always 

 handicapped by lack of information concern- 

 ing the developments of the situation. His staff 

 may be holding the fire at one point, but losing 

 ground at another. Topographical features and 

 consequent variations often give a fire an un- 

 expected turn. An airplane scout, observing 

 the fire from aloft, can keep the chief fire-fighter 

 constantly advised in that connection. 



As to transportation of men and supplies, 

 everything that aircraft can do in that regard 

 will prove of outstanding value. As already 

 stated, getting the fight started before a fire has 

 gained too much headway is all-important. 

 Getting fire-fighters to a fire even only ten or 

 fifteen miles away is often a slow and laborious 

 undertaking, for forest trails are not city high- 

 ways, and, moreover, forest fires have a dis- 

 agreeable habit of so locating themselves that 

 the first struggle of the fire-fighters is to get 

 over the steep grades and the masses of debris 

 and to penetrate the thick forest growth be- 

 tween them and the fire. It is obvious that with 

 ample landing-places throughout a forest, the 

 airplane can very quickly take men and supplies 

 to the scene of a fire. 



ARE GAS BOMBS PRACTICAL? 



It is to be hoped that the airplane will also 

 prove effective in actual forest fire-fighting. At 

 present the idea in this connection is that air- 

 planes may be used for dropping gas bombs on 

 the fire. The idea is perfectly reasonable if a 

 gas can be found which will prove an effective 

 fire-extinguisher in the open air. There is a 

 vast difference between using a gas extinguisher 

 in a building and in the open air. Outside, 

 the diffusion of the gas is so rapid that it is 

 comparatively ineffective. Here is a job for 

 a chemist. If he can produce a gas bomb that 

 will extinguish fires in the open air, there is no 

 doubt that the airplane affords the quickest and 

 best means of applying it to the fire. 



The utility of aircraft in forest protection 

 appears to be so obvious that it is no doubt a 

 matter of surprise to airmen and to the public 



