A FOREST CF XOCLE FIR IN WASHINGTON DESTROYED BY FIRE 

 This forest contained 20 to 40 thousand feet per acre of valuable timber 



orders of the forest rangers in charge of 

 the parties. 



HEROISM OF FOREST RANGER PULASKI 



Many instances of heroism occurred 

 during that fire whose recounting would 

 fill many pages. One case will serve as a 

 typical illustration of the sterling quali- 

 ties of the men making up the force of 

 rangers protecting our national forest 

 property. 



Forest Ranger Pulaski was in charge 

 of about 150 men, distributed over a dis- 

 tance of several miles along the divide 

 between Big Creek of the Cceur d'Alene 

 River and Big Creek of the St. Joe 

 River. As the peril became imminent he 

 brought together about 40 of his men 

 v\dio were in the danger zone and started 

 with them down the mountain toward 

 Wallace, Idaho, a distance of 10 miles. 

 When about half way down the moun- 

 tain he found that he was cut off by new 

 fires. 



His men became panic-stricken, but he 

 assured them that he would still get 

 them to a place of safety. Being thor- 

 oughly familiar with the region, he knew 



of two prospect tunnels near by, the 

 shorter being about 50 feet and the 

 longer about 100 feet in length. Not 

 being certain whether he could reach the 

 largest and safest, he put a wet gunny 

 sack over his head and worked his way 

 to the largest ttmnel. Finding that it 

 was safe, he rushed back to his men and 

 hurried them to the tunnel, arriving just 

 in time to get them inside before the fire 

 reached them. At this time he had with 

 him 42 men, all of whom he managed to 

 get into the tunnel with the exception of 

 one, who had fallen behind and was 

 catight by the fire before he could catch 

 up with his comrades. 



The timbers supporting the tunnel 

 caught fire, and Pulaski, standing guard 

 at the mouth of the tunnel, managed to 

 catch with his hat some water from a 

 little stream that flowed from the bottom 

 of the tunnel, which he kept dashing 

 upon the burning timbers until he him- 

 self was so badly burned that he fell 

 unconsciotts. Prior to losing conscious- 

 ness he commanded his men to lie on 

 their faces for protection. 



Probabl}^ all of the men were uncon- 



66S 



