24 POTLATCH TIMBER PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION 



horses. Sufficient horses were available at all times to meet the 

 requirements. The organization as to foremen, straw bosses, 

 cooks, saw filers, and laborers can be said to be as efficient as is 

 possible. The lumber company has been working for a number 

 of years and their woods organization has been carefully built 

 up to a high degree of efficiency. 



The fires consisted of two large ones. The larger fire had 

 its origin in three separate fires the first in Section 17, T. 41 

 N., R. 1 W., on or about July 20 ; the second in Section 6, T. 41 

 N., R. 1 W., on July 27; and the third in Section 17, T. 41 N., 

 R. 1 W., on August 20. The first two fires were sighted from 

 Real's Butte and immediately reported to the association head- 

 quarters at Elk River.' After reporting the fires the lookout se- 

 cured men and tools from the Potlatch Lumber Company's camps 

 and with this force began work on the fires. The third fire was 

 discovered by men patrolling the larger fire, which at this time 

 covered several hundred acres, and it is doubtful if this fire was 

 reported at Elk River, since men were taken from the fire line of 

 the other fires to fight it. The other large fire had its origin 

 about August 14 and was sighted from the right-of-way of the 

 C, M., & St. P. Railroad. 



On account of the dry conditions and heavy wind the fires 

 began burning very severely on July 27. Up to this time they 

 had been well under control and on the fires in Sections 6 and 17 

 there were probably twenty men. On July 28 and 29 there were 

 furnished from the Potlatch Lumber Company's camps Numbers 

 1 and 5 two hundred men. On July 30 and 31 additional men were 

 brought up from other camps until on August 1 there were ap- 

 proximately three hundred and fifty men on the two fires. It was 

 found that this force of men was unable to check them and on 

 August 2 three hundred men were supplied from the Potlatch 

 Lumber Company's mills at Elk River and Potlatch. These men 

 reached the fire on the night of August 2, by way of the C., M., 

 & St. P. Railroad and Potlatch Lumber Company's logging spurs. 

 On August 3, 4, and 5 approximately two hundred more men 

 were supplied from the Potlatch mills and camps, section crews 

 and from Bovill. This brought the total number of men on Au- 

 gust 5 up to approximately eight hundred and forty. Practically 

 this entire force was held on the fire until September 6. 



The transportation of men and ^supplies was handled prin- 

 cipally by railroad. Several of the logging camps were used as 

 fire camps. A large number of men were quartered in camp 

 cars on the various logging spurs of the lumber company. 

 It is estimated that seventy-five camp cars were used in this man- 

 ner. The supplies for the various camps were furnished by the 

 Potlatch Lumber Company's warehouse at Bovill, which in turn 



