PROTECTION 147 



in their vicinity, and the Forest Service reciprocates 

 by sending men for fires occurring on their lands, 

 which may threaten National Forest timber. 

 Often cooperative agencies enter into agreement 

 to build jointly with the Forest Service certain 

 improvements, such as telephone lines, lookout 

 towers, or trails, which will benefit public fire pro- 

 tection as well as private. Many sawmills and log- 

 ging companies who operate on or near the Na- 

 tional Forests have agreements with the Service, 

 by which they suspend all operations and send all 

 their help to fires which threaten National Forest 

 timber. All timber sale contracts of the Forest 

 Service provide for cooperative fire protection. 



Fighting Forest Fires. The most important re- 

 quirements for successful fire suppression are: 

 quick arrival after discovery, adequate forces of 

 men, proper equipment, thorough organization on 

 the fire line, skill in attacking, and careful, sys- 

 tematic patrol after the fire is thought to be out. 

 All fires, whether large or small, require generals 

 to lead the attacking forces, and the strategy of 

 fire fighting can only be learned after long expe- 

 rience on the fire line. A cool, level-headed man is 

 the greatest necessity in an emergency, for it is as 



