656 PROTECTION AGAINST FOREST FIRES. 



lire should be so chosen that the fire-trace may be completed 

 before the fire reaches it. In making this fire-trace, all the 

 soil-covering should be cut and removed, and if there is time, 

 a trench may be dug, and the earth from it piled up towards 

 the fire. 



It may be necessary to counterfire from a road, stream, 

 ride or fire-trace ; the soil-covering is then burned, and this 

 fire directed so as to meet the advancing forest fire, when the 

 two fires meet and become extinguished for want of fuel. 

 This is a very efficacious remedy, but demands great care, 

 and can be carried out only when the air is fairly still, and 

 the undergrowth not too high, or fire may ignite the crowns 

 of the trees ; it will evidently be resorted to only in extreme 

 cases. 



(I. Crown Fires. 



The wooded area must be interrupted by felling a strip of 

 trees in front of the fire, which is best done along a road or 

 ride. The smaller trees should be dragged away, if there is 

 time to do so, taller trees should be felled towards the fire and 

 their crowns lopped off, if possible. 



Counterfiring is of little use against crown-fires, but may be 

 tried, if only young growth is burning. 



c. Sle)7is OH Fire. 



When a solitary hollow tree is burning, the hole may be 

 stopped with sods or earth. If, however, the hollow extends 

 to the top of the tree or through one of its main branches, the 

 tree must be felled, after clearing away the undergrowth and 

 soil-covering all round it, and the fire should then be extin- 

 guished with water or soil. 



7. Watchiiif/ the Site of the Fire. 



In order to guard against a fresh outbreak of a forest fire, 

 its site should be carefully watched by trustworthy persons 

 until all further danger is over. In a coniferous forest, 

 where the soil is deeply covered with dead needles, danger of 

 rekindling may be incurred for a week or more after the fire 

 has been extinguished, unless rain falls. The manager 



