CH. II 



FIRE PROTECTION 269 





ting through the forest, or wherever possible advantage 

 may be taken of natural features which may save the 

 expense of cutting. For instance, a broad river or other 

 sheet of water may in itself take the place of the fire- 

 line, or, if narrow, it may take the place of a guide- 

 line. Precipitous cliffs may occasionally serve as fire- 

 lines, but only if not festooned by grass or creepers or 

 other inflammable matter. Roads may in some cases 

 serve, but if there is any traffic on them, and con- 

 sequent danger of fire being set alight in the forest 

 owing to carelessness on the part of passers-by, it will be 

 necessary to have either two fire-lines, one on either side 

 of the road, or, if the traffic is not great, at least one to 

 leeward of the road. 1 In mountainous countries, where 

 the roads are not running straight down the slopes, the 

 fire-line, if only one is made, will be on the side above 

 the road. In such cases the road can be used as one of 

 the guide-lines. Ridges and spurs of mountains are 

 frequently used for running the fire-lines along them. 

 When only one side of the ridge is to be preserved 

 against fire only one guide-line is required, which is 

 cut on the side of the ridge which is to be protected, and 

 the fire is then allowed to spread up to and beyond the 

 ridge ; but if both sides have to be fire-protected, guide- 

 lines will have to be cut on either side of the ridge, the 

 trace being on the ridge itself. When fire-lines run 

 down steep spurs, the guide-lines may have to be supple- 

 mented by zigzag paths to permit the easy progress 

 of the fire-gangs. If, then, these paths have to be made 

 right across the face of the trace, each portion contained 

 within two turns of the path can be fired separately, and 

 the risk of spread of fire in difficult places will be 

 minimised. Railway lines passing through a fire-pre- 

 served forest will require fire-lines on either side ; this 

 is necessary on account of danger from sparks from the 

 engines which might set the whole forest ablaze. If 



1 Fernandez (op. cit. p. 443) says that in such a case the fire-line should be 

 :m the side from which the wind blows, i.e. to windward. The reason given is 

 ;hat until the line is fired the road serves as a fire-break, and when it is burnt as 

 i good guide-line. 



