Canadian Forestry Journal, June, 1915 



95 



Making a Fire Proof Forest 



/>'// n. n. Cnnpbitl. 



The expression "Fire Proof For- 

 est'' may strike one as a ratlicr 

 strange plirase in view of the yearly 

 destruetion of the forests tlirongliout 

 Canada by fire, but the point must be 

 reaeht'd at some time wlien the forests 

 shall be jjraetieally fire proof, and 

 that this is not an impossible ideal is 

 })roved absolutely by experience in 

 many distriets in Europe. The prob- 

 lem nuiy be eleann- to the ordinary 

 citizen by comparison with fire pre- 

 vention in the cities and towns. 



^lunieipal regulations provide for 

 tile us»* of fire i)roof material in the 

 construction of buildings in crowded 

 districts and thus one cause of the 

 spread of fire is greatly diminished, 

 but this is a method wliich it is im- 

 possible to apply to the forest. No 

 kind of trees but wooden ones can be 

 grown. 



Education goes far to make a city 

 fire proof. The man who carelessly 

 throws away a lighted match or cigar 

 stub is a menace to a city in the same 

 way that he is a menace to the forest. 

 Tile man who leaves inflammable ma- 

 terial lying about in piles and in 

 places where fire is likely to fall 

 among it is the cause of many a fire 

 in the city as well as in the forest. 

 The man who lights a fire and leaves it 

 to its own sweet will is a danger to 

 the forest no less than to the city. 

 Education against careles.sness with 

 fire will stop the fire before it starts. 



Every modern city has its system 

 of call boxes located at strategic 

 points throughout the city from which 

 notice can immediately be sent to the 

 central station of the occurrence of 

 any fire, and in addition to this tele- 

 l)hone wires all over the city afford an 

 opportunity to send in warning from 

 almost every house. Fires make little 

 headway before notice is given. Stop 

 the fire at the start must be the motto. 



In the forest the only way of ensur- 

 ing safety is to follow a similar 

 method as fully as po.ssible. All for- 

 est fire organizations which are really 

 attacking the ])robleiM in a serious 

 way are building telephone lines 

 which comnumicate with the central 

 fire ranger station. Inasmuch as the 

 population of the forest is not as a 

 rule very numerous or well distri- 

 buted to observe fire, it is also neces- 

 sary that the fire guardians .should 

 have elevated points of vantage from 

 which they can have an outlook over 

 a considerable area of forest and 

 watch for the light columns of smoke 

 that give quick evidence of any fire 

 being started. 



Having information of the fire is 

 however only the first stage. In every 

 city a permanent fire fighting organi- 

 zation is established and the services 

 of these men are available at any 

 moment to go immediately to any fire. 

 Trained in the fighting of fire and the 

 use of apparatus in connection there- 

 with and physically and mentally fit 

 for the great .strain which fire fight- 

 ing puts on the physical powers and 

 on the morale of men, the character 

 of men of the fire figliting organiza- 

 tion has a great deal to do in making 

 a city fire proof. And in no less de- 

 gree is the character of the men w^ho 

 have to handle the fighting of fires in 

 the forest one of the factors that make 

 for the safety of the forest. Tlie fire 

 ranging staff of any forest must be 

 well selected ; the men must be capable 

 and efficient. 



But even with due notice of fire and 

 a good fire fighting crew there would 

 be serious difficulty in every city in 

 handling the fire situation if all the 

 streets across a city were l)locked so 

 that the fire fighters would have to 

 take a long detour through the 

 suburbs in order to come around to a 



