Back'firing in the Bitterroot Mountains 



exception equipment. As a fire de- 

 partment in a city maintains engines, 

 men, and horses, as a form of insurance 

 against loss of city property, in no less 

 degree is it necessary to be adequately 

 equipped to meet a fire in the forests. 

 There must be men, tools, and pack- 

 trains immediately available if the fire 

 is to be controlled, and it must be 

 reached when it is fairly small. 



During the past fire season there were 

 at one time in the field in Northern 

 Idaho and Northwestern Montana, on 

 the National Forests, approximately 300 

 hired pack horses. This, of course, was 

 during the very worst conditions, when 

 the woods were as dry as a tinder box 

 and fires badly scattered. The securing 

 of these pack-trains was one of the 

 chief sources of delay in getting men 

 and supplies to the fires. By equipping 

 each Forest with horses where trans- 

 portation facilities make it imperative, 

 this delay can be largely obviated. In 

 addition to the horses, caches of tools, 

 634 



consisting of shovels, mattocks, axes, 

 and saws, are distributed throughout 

 the Forest. These emergency caches 

 are for equipping at least 10 men. 



UNCOMMONLY DRY SEASON 



Usually the fire season begins about 

 the latter part of July and lasts through 

 August and early September. This 

 year no spring rains occurred and the 

 country began to get dry by early June. 

 Steps were taken to prepare for a bad 

 year. Extra patrol was put on. Co- 

 operation was planned and effected with 

 railroads and lumber companies, and 

 people were warned to be very careful 

 about burning brush to clear land. In 

 spite of all precautions, fires originated 

 from the burning of brush, from loco- 

 motives and logging engines, from 

 campers, and from lightning. 



The practically unbroken drouth dur- 

 ing June, July, and August was accom- 

 panied in many localities by dry elec- 



