Report of tee Forest Commission. 41 



thickly beneath the trees, have become as dry as paper. A fire 

 is started in these leaves. It may have caught from a burning 

 match carelessly thrown aside, or from the embers of some 

 abandoned camp fire, or, more likely, from fires started by some 

 farmer for clearing* land. 



The slender column of ascending smoke is seen and watched 

 until its increasing volume announces that the woods are burn- 

 ing. Word is quickly sent to the local firewarden, who may 

 already have noticed the danger signal. Quickly harnessing his 

 horse to the old, mud-bespattered buckboard, the warden drives 

 hurriedly in the direction of the fire, stopping here and there on 

 his way to "warn out" his neighbors to follow him and help 

 " fight fire." Perhaps he hitches up a big farm wagon, throws 

 into it some axes, shovels, hoes, pails or brooms, and collects his 

 little posse of fire fighters on the way. If he is familiar with the 

 locality in which the fire appears to be, he may order some 

 neighbor to get a team and plow, and follow them to the place. 



Leaving their wagon on the road the party plunges quickly 

 into the woods, climbs some hill or crosses some swamp, and soon 

 find themselves face to face with the crackling flames. The fire 

 warden makes a quick survey of the situation, and then gives his 

 orders promptly. If the fire has not attained much headway it 

 is fought on all sides by raking and sweeping the dead leaves 

 away from it, until a surrounding space has been laid bare, across 

 which the creeping flames may not pass. Some of the men cut 

 branches of trees and with the boughs whip out the little fires 

 as they advance. Some use shovels and throw fresh earth on the 

 smouldering leaves or fallen timber which may be burning. If 

 there is a stream or pond near by water may be carried and used 

 to " wet down " the layers of dry, dead leaves along the edge of 

 the fire. Brush fences are cut away or torn aside, and perhaps, 

 some trees are felled by way of precaution. If the surface of 

 the ground will permit, a plow may be brought into use and 

 wide furrows of fresh earth are turned up on every side. If 

 there is no wind and the work was commenced in time, the little 

 band of fire fighters soon get the flames under control and the 

 danger is past. Leaving some trusty men to watch the smoulder- 

 6 



