PROTECTION AGAINST FOREST FIRES. 239 



for its extinction may be taken at once, special watchers should 

 be maintained in coniferous forests on the plains whenever there 

 is long, continuous drought in spring or summer, and signals should 

 be preconcerted in order to call together whatever body of men is 

 available for the purpose of taking measures to counteract its 

 spread and to accomplish its extinction. In the North German 

 plain watch-towers are erected of wood, and cow-horns are blown 

 from these as soon as any suspicious smoke is seen, whilst the 

 church bells ring a continuous alarm, and a red flag is run up to 

 the top of the spire to call the attention of the general population 

 to the matter. 



120. Methods of extinguishing Forest Fires. 



Whilst a ground-fire of only petty extent may often quite 

 easily be extinguished by a few men, yet when once it has 

 managed to establish itself, and to assume more considerable pro- 

 portions, hundreds of men can scarcely suffice to prevent it 

 spreading still further; hence the speediest possible and most 

 energetic action should be taken, for the actual damage done, and 

 the danger of its assuming extensive proportions, increase with 

 every moment lost. 



Any forester or woodman, who sees or has been informed that 

 a fire has broken out, should at once get together as many men 

 with axes, hoes, spades, &c., as he can, and hurry to the place 

 where the fire is raging, whilst at the same time despatching 

 messengers, mounted if possible, to the nearest hamlets or villages 

 to call for assistance. Arrived at the place where the fire has 

 occurred, the head man among the party should at once make 

 such disposal of the workmen at his command as he thinks 

 best adapted to prevent the fire spreading into neighbouring 

 woods. 



When it is found to be only a ground-fire, as yet of but slight 

 extent, it is often possible to extinguish it by beating the fringe 

 of flame with green boughs from the trees, or with the flat 

 shovels, or by sweeping the fire inwards with besoms, so as to 

 throw it back on to the parts over which it has already passed. 

 This should be the first plan tried, and its adoption is often of 

 itself sufficient to extinguish the fire. When the air is windstill, 

 or if there be merely a slight breeze blowing, such extinctive 

 measures can be adopted from different sides simultaneously ; but 



