I20 



Conservation Reader 



Anit^rican Forestry AssociaUou 

 The forest fire sweeps everytliing in its path. 



suffocating smoke. The birds and animals flee away in 

 every direction. 



It is no wonder that those whose homes are in the forest 

 gather quickly to fight the fire, for if they cannot control 

 it, they may lose everything that they possess. If there 

 is a wind blowing, the fire will probably sweep over many 

 miles of country. At night, though, when the air becomes 

 cooler and more quiet, the men can get the advantage of it. 



You can understand, of course, that it is impossible to 

 use water against such a fire, for water is not to be had 

 throughout most parts of the forests. Instead of using 

 water, the men fight fire with fire. Taking shovels, hoes, 

 and rakes to a suitable place some distance ahead of the 

 fire, they rake away the dead litter on the ground, -making 

 a broad, clean path through the forest. Then they set 

 "back-fires" along that side of this clean path which hes 

 toward the coming lire. These back-fires burn slowly 



