AN AUSTRALIAN STUDY OF AMERICAN FORESTRY. 59 
Horse and foot patrol men are put on to patrol the fixed risk zone, under 
the direction of the district ranger. Their duties are primarily to locate fires 
due to human agency, in those locations where fires generally occur, and to be 
on the ground to put them out. Incidentally these patrolmen are required 
to conduct a general information and publicity campaign amongst the forest 
users. 
The patrol route of ten or twelve miles for footmen, and fifteen to twenty 
miles for horsemen, is covered every day, including Sundays. 
The equipment carried includes a shovel, axe, and hoe. 
In addition to patrolmen, an extensive scheme of lookouts is arranged. 
By the use of the Koch profile method, the areas visible or invisible from 
prominent peaks are determined directly from the forest map. A very good 
lookout will permit above 50 per cent. of country within a twelve mile circle 
to be overlooked. That 50 per cent. should be the valuable stand. 
Study determines the location of the lookout stations, from which, during 
the summer months, a constant watch is kept. In addition to the look-out 
men, a “smoke-chaser” is often attached to these stations. His duty is to 
start out immediately when smoke is seen, locate, and if possible extinguish 
the fire. 
Lookout stations are connected by telephone to the district ranger’s 
office. They are equipped with a traverse board bearing a map of the forest. 
Over the map, with the look-out point as centre, is pasted a transparent 
protractor. The board is kept constantly in orientation. The direction of a 
fire is ascertained by sighting with an alidade placed upon the map. 
The location of any outbreak is determined by the intersection of the 
sights from two look-out points. A method is in process of development to 
ascertain location by the intersection of horizontal and vertical sights from 
one point. 
Reports of fires are sent directly to the district ranger, who transmits 
them to the supervisor. 
The whole machinery of the organisation is set in motion. Instantan- 
eously and simultaneously men and supplies are collected and transported to 
the scene of the fire by automobiles, special trains, or on foot, accompanied 
by pack trains. 
The organisation of the crews, the establishment of camps, arrangements 
for the preparation and distribution of food and drinking water, attack on the 
fire, timekeeping and payment of the men, are all carried out on lines’ laid 
down in the fire plan. 
A typical plan is that of the Clearwater Forest, which has three lookout 
men and four “smoke-chasers.” There are three tool caches, carrying in all 
tools for seventy-five men. There are available twenty-three head of Govern- 
ment pack horses, thirty head of surveyors’ horses, and six others obtainable 
at aranch. The forest is twenty miles from a railway station or store. 
On the outbreak of a fire, the district forestry office is wired for men, the 
improvement crew is put on at once, a halfway camp is established, and the 
pack train proceeds to the station to meet the men and bring them to the 
camp. 
Next day the crew reach the fire. 
B 
