18 ANNUAL REPORT OF 



ROSEAU COUNTY. 



Ellert Hanson, chairman of the town of Dewey (January 23, 

 1900). 



November ist a fire, which came into our town from the north and east, burned 

 over half the town, being prairie land with poplar groves, and destroyed 25 tons 

 of hay of the value of $50. Cause unknown. Four persons were called to help 

 control the fire. We could not extinguish it, but it burned against a sand ridge 

 and extinguished itself in the morning. We saved a lot of hay and shanties by 

 setting back-fire. The weather was dry and windy in the evening, but became 

 damp in the morning. 



YELLOW MEDICINE COUNTY. 



A. H. Frase, chairman of the town of Minnesota Falls, Novem- 

 ber 9th: 



The 8th instant a fire set to a straw stack on section 33, on land that was occu- 

 pied by H. Fairbanks, burned over 25 acres of meadow and destroyed about 25 

 tons of hay of the value of $60. The weather was dry, with a. light south wind. 

 The fire was extinguished in two hours after it started by plowing and back-firing. 

 The hay burned was owned by W. H. Cook, and if the fire had not been extin- 

 guished it would have destroyed another 10 tons of hay, worth about J25. 



Duties of the Chief Fire Warden. 



The Fire Warden Law of Minnesota makes township su- 

 pervisors (many of whom are newly elected each year and 

 require instructions), mayors of cities and presidents of 

 village councils fire wardens by virtue of office. In un- 

 organized territory fire wardens are appointed by the 

 Chief Fire Warden. The Chief Fire Warden is the 

 deputy of the Forest Commissioner, and his duties and 

 authority are to: 



Enforce the fire warden law; 



Divide into fire districts unorganized territory; 



Appoint fire wardens in or near unorganized territory; 



Have general charge of fire warden force in the state; 



To mass the fire warden force at any point; 



Appoint temporarily fire wardens; 



CoBperate with police or military force of the United States; 



