HOW THE FIRES WERE FOUGHT 



By F. A. SILCOX 

 Assistant District Forester, District 1, U. S. Forest Service 



(Forests in District I \vere the scene of the terrific fires which, in the absence of 

 sufficient trails and equipment for communication and fire fighting, were swept beyond 

 control by the cyclonic winds of August 20 and 21 and, besides devastating some of 

 the finest virgin timber in the country, cost the lives of seventy-four of the temporary 

 force, injured many other persons, destroyed many millions of dollars worth of property, 

 and lost to industry hundreds of thousands of dollars more in wages. Every cir- 

 cumstance which attended the origin and behavior of these fires proved beyond all 

 doubt the ability of the Forest Service completely to protect the National Forests as soon as 

 the Forests are fully equipped and manned for protection and not before. Ed.) 



CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY of country it is possible to travel at a 



fairly rapid rate, either on foot or with 



District One of the Forest Service, horses, by working through the timber 



with headquarters at Missoula, Mon- and open parks and along the bald 



tana, includes all of the National For- ridges, 

 ests in the panhandle of Idaho and in 



Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, SLOWNESS OF TRAVEL 

 and Michigan. It includes 28 National 



Forests with an aggregate area of In striking contrast is the country 

 29,918,043 acres. The main continental west of the divide, which includes in 

 range, from whose crest the rain and this district Northwestern Montana 

 snow waters make their way westward and Northern Idaho. Heavy dense 

 to the Pacific and eastward to the Gulf, timber with heavy undergrowth and 

 divides the district into two natural di- with very few, widely scattered moun- 

 visions. A striking contrast exists in tain meadows, is the characteristic type 

 the type and character of the country of country. The predominating spe- 

 on the east and west of the divide ; and cies are Western white pine, cedar, 

 this contrast has such a vital bearing larch, fir, and hemlock, all of which 

 upon the fire situation that in order to grow in dense stands and through 

 understand the great fires of the past which, both on account of the tinder- 

 summer and the difficulties encountered brush and windfallen timber, travel 

 in controlling them, a clear picture of with a horse is, without trails, a physi- 

 the respective types of country is essen- cal impossibility, and by foot, with a 

 tial. pack on one's back, a most arduous and 



East of the divide the timbered areas tedious task. 



are broken by open parks, the solid Where open areas occur and travel is 

 bodies of timber being confined mainly possible, even without trails, as in the 

 to the north slopes. The predominat- forests of Eastern Montana, fires can 

 ing species, lodgepole pine, although be controlled if sufficient patrol is main- 

 forming extremely dense thickets in tained during the dry season, largely 

 early life, opens up somewhat as the because the fires can be reached shortly 

 stands grow older and carry little tin- after being discovered. The best proof 

 derbrush. The red fir and yellow pine of this is the fact that no fires of any 

 types are open stands in which little size got beyond control even during the 

 undergrowth is found and through very dry and windy season just closed, 

 which travel is fairly easy. In this type east of the divide. Many fires occurred, 



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