68 THE NATIONAL FOKEST MANUAL. 



flammability of the cover, the topography, atmospheric conditions, labor and 

 its pay, tools and equipment, subsistence, transportation, and communication. 



Organization. 



If a Forest is not liable to heavy damage from fire, and there is but little 

 difficulty and low cost in fire protection, the regular Forest force can be de- 

 pended upon to prevent and discover fires. However, provision should be made 

 in advance for supplementing the regular force by outside labor, and for sup- 

 plies and transportation in anticipation of possible fires beyond the control of 

 the regular force. Forests which are liable to almost complete dstruction, and 

 in which fires are extremely difficult to extinguish, need more intensive han- 

 dling. This generally means not only the preparation for extra help, but the 

 actual employment of special patrolmen for limited areas, the aim being to 

 prevent fires and to discover and extinguish them at their inception. 



Season of Low Hazard. 



On all but a few Forests the regular force can handle the fire situation, ex- 

 cept during the summer months. Except in this summer season, therefore, pre- 

 cautions for fire prevention and control involves only measures to insure the 

 availability of equipment, labor, and supplies required for fire fighting, should 

 a fire occur. 



Season of High Hazard. 



In summer, when the situation can not be handled by the regular force, 

 oven with the cooperation of local residents and industries, additional assistance 

 is necessary. Extra men will be supervised by the regular force, except pos- 

 sibly when they are specially experienced in firework. The supervisor will 

 determine the number and assignments of the extra force. The period of em- 

 ployment, and cost in wages and expenses, and other details will be given in 

 the fire plan, and the routes or stations of the extra men will be shown on the 

 accompanying map. 



Supervision and Direction. 



The district ranger will, if necessary, call on reconnaissance or improvement 

 crews, and any officers engaged in field work in his district, to assist in emer- 

 gencies in patrol work and in fire fighting. 



Assistants to District Ranger. 



Careful consideration should be given to the need of furnishing rangers, in 

 charge of districts which have high liability and hazard, with men specially 

 qualified in fire work. 



Patrolmen. 



As far as possible local residents should constitute a regular part of the 

 patrol force. They may be employed as per diem guards or laborers ; by this 

 arrangement they will receive pay for services actually performed, or they 

 may be employed as guards at salaries commensurate with the value of their 

 services. When there is need, and where sufficiently effective patrol can not 

 be ootained by such means, the employment of guards and laborers who will 

 give all their time to patrol must be resorted to. 



Instructions as to Duties. 



When a patrolman or lookout man is placed on duty he should be furnished 

 with complete information as to the district to which he is assigned, including 

 a map showing the topography, routes of travel and communication, and other 

 necessary data. He must be instructed in detail as to his duties. If the patrol- 

 man is not already familiar with the country, he should be assigned to duty 

 sufficiently in advance of the danger season to enable him to become familiar 

 with his district. 



Control. 



The district ranger will insure compliance with his instructions by personal 

 inspection or by keeping in touch with the patrolmen by means of telephone. 

 If, because of weather conditions, the fire danger becomes small, the district 

 ranger will require the patrolman to engage on improvements and other work, 

 which should be planned in advance. 



Action on Discovery of Fires. 



The first duty of the Forest officer discovering a fire is to determine its loca- 

 tion and extent, its possible spread, and the amount of work required to extin- 

 guish it. An officer should be sufficiently familiar with conditions to determine, 



