122 



Canadian Forcslnj Journal, July, 1915 



these different remarks, I will (D.V.) 

 proceed towards these fires tomorrow. 

 "I examined the country minutely. 

 Found out where the fire started from 

 and also found out that the fire made 

 by the bear trappers had been put 

 out to a certain extent but not alto- 

 gether. It was not totally through 

 carelessness as I could see that they 

 tried to put it out by pouring water 

 over their fireplace before leaving it. 

 It was owing to a delusion on the 

 hunters' part who took it for granted 

 that they had put out the fire. This 

 fire will now have to be put out when 

 it gets to waterways; that will fence 

 it in. 



'Reached 



settlement and 



asked all parties to help put out this 

 disastrous fire, if at all possible. Most 

 of our residents being away bear hunt- 

 ing at this particular date, and as it 

 looks like rain, we will await the ar- 

 rival of all the hunters and will go 

 'en masse' on Monday to put out the 

 fire. In the meantime all parties will 

 be preparing themselves with proper 

 equipment. 



'Had E- 



and I- 



-, two In- 

 dians, prosecuted for being the cause 

 of this fire. As they proved them- 

 selves guilty and as they tried to put 

 out their camp fire by water — it, how- 

 ever, having proved a baffling de- 

 lusion on their part — I fined them $20 

 and for each to help put out the fire 

 at their own expense, reprimanding 

 them severel}' for their careless meth- 

 ods. 



"Most of our men arrived today 

 from trapping and we now have a 

 complement of thirty-two able-bodied 

 men and a few more to arrive yet. All 

 are now preparing food, raiment and 

 implements for fire extinguishing pur- 

 poses. As I know the counlry well 

 where this fire is, I am waiting until 



it arrives near some lakes where it is 

 possible it can be put out without 

 much help. 



"Myself and assistant fire ranger 

 started at 6 a.m. with 45 men all 

 equipi^ed with axes, spades, coal oil 

 cans and other cans, also old clothes 

 and bags for fighting fire. Got the 

 help of a horse and car for taking 15 

 canoes over the four-mile tramway. 

 "We arrived at the extreme end of the 

 lake and camped on a small island 

 where we could get a good view of the 

 raging fire. As this will be the first 

 experience of these men in the art of 

 quenching fire I gave them advice to 

 the best of my wits — and retired to 

 bed. 



■'As soon as all hands had dinner I 

 at once superintended the back burn- 

 ing of a grass swamp, putting out the 

 back line of the fire as we made pro- 

 gress. And after all hands working 

 hard we managed to gain a fire belt 

 of about three miles. In the thick 

 bushes we cut down the trees and 

 with spades, hoes, etc., cleared the sod 

 for ten feet as a fire guard. 



"From 1st day of June to 5th we 

 managed to finish a fire guard 12 

 miles long running almost east and 

 west. By fire guard I mean a scraping 

 of all dead kindling matter right to 

 the gravel bed, besides felling an out- 

 line of trees, 20-foot clearing space, 

 and back-firing every inch of 12 miles 

 along the fire guard. 



Some Days Later. 



"As this fire has cost our Govern- 

 ment a big sum I am pleased to say 

 it will save a big piece of timber now 

 that it has been disposed of in good 

 shape. ' ' 



The ranger closes his diary with a 

 stanza bidding adieu to the bush fire 

 and trusting that he may never meet 

 it again. 



