APPENDIX. IV 



Unless the Divisional Officer or any attached gazetted officer, 

 arriving at the fire, specifically takes over control from the Kange 

 Officer the latter should continue to direct operations. 



On arrival at the scene of the fire the first duty of the Range Plan of 

 Officer is not to snatch an extinguisher from the nearest man and 

 begin working like a coolie, but carefully and calmly to study the 

 situation. It is very necessary that every Eange Officer should 

 cultivate the habit of facing the position calmly, fully realising 

 that his must be the master mind to direct and control operations. 

 The importance of this point cannot be over emphasized for mental 

 confusion and panic on the part of the Bange Officer lead to chaos 

 and disaster. It is better that a few more acres should be burnt 

 while a sound plan of attack is being evolved than that the attack 

 should be carried out in a haphazard manner "leaving muchjio 

 chance. 



The factors that should claim the Range Officer's first consi- 

 deration are : 



(a) Direction of wind. It is necessary correctly to differen- 



tiate between the general direction of the prevailing 

 wind and the several, often deceptive, currents created 

 by the fire itself. Having arrived at a decision on this 

 point it will be possible to decide on measures immediate- 

 ly necessary. 



(b) TJie possibility of beating out the fire without resorting to 



counter firing . It is seldom necessary to counterfire 

 during the winter months, for at this time of the year 

 fighting a fire presents no difficulty. But during the 

 fire season proper the conditions are entirely changed. 

 When, however, the character of the forest burning is 

 such that there is but little or no grass, the wind is not 

 strong and the fire is making but little headway there is 

 no necessity to counterfire. In such circumstances it is 

 only necessary to advance directly upon the fire and 

 beat out the flames. A golden rule in fighting a fire is 



