FOREST FIRES IN CANADA

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 100, 24 October 1925, Page 16

FOREST FIRES IN CANADA

DANGER AND DAMAGE CAUSED.

According to a recent report in "Tlio Tim oh," inoro tluui 1000 forest liroH luivo occurred in Canada this

season, a number which approaches that of tlio disastrous season of 1922. 'J'ho Horious inconvenience, danger, and (la.inago caused by theso outbreaks can hardly bo realised liy those who have not had experience of them. The forest, country is on the Pacific coast of Canada and the United .States, and, in addition to tlio enormous damage done by the destruction of! timber through (ire, navigation is frequently affected, and the lives of the inhabitants of towns within range of the smoke clouds are made, niiscrablo for days at a time. The dense clouds of smoke which roll away from the burning forest are capable of turning daylight into darkness. At Portland, Oregon (U.S.A.), a few years ago, the sun wa.s blotted out for several days by the dense, smoke of a forest fire. People had to burn lights'in their houses and shops all day long, and they suffered from the effects of smoke in their eyes and lungs. On another occasion during a lire near the Great Lakes of.Canada, it is estima.ted that shipping companies lost nearly £8000 from the delay caused to their vessels through the smoke clouds interfering with navigation. It is little wonder that all the latest methods known to science are enlisted for the control and extinction of theso fires, and wireless is now used extensively by the forest services in Canada and the United States. Until its advent fires were detected by rangers, who patrolled the forest on horseback or in launches on the rivers and creeks. Outbreaks discovered by these patrols were reported to the nearest station of the forest service, cither by messenger or by telegraph, when this was available and.undamaged. Parties of rangers were then sent out to limit the area of destruction and to subdue the fire if possible. A cloud of smoke ris■ing above the trees at a distance gave men on foot or on horseback very little idea of the exact position or extent of the outbreak, and much valuable time was lost in coming to grips with the fire. For the last iive years, however,'both in Canada and in the United States, the forest services have had their stations and patrol launches fitted with wireless telephone installations, and have also had the assistance of aeroplanes fitted with the same apparatus.

By this means much valuable time is saved in attacking the forcsit fires. The aeroplane patrol is able to detect iircs at great distances and to determine their exact position and extent. Immediate information caif be conveyed by wireless telephone to the nearest headquarters, and tho. firefighting party can be quickly on the scene. It has been estimated that bofore aeroplanes and wireless telephony were used for thi • work 75 per cent, of the forest fires were either not observed or not reported in time for effective action to be taken, and that they burnt themselves out, with consequent enormous loss of valuable timber. Although the destruction caused by forest- fires is still great, it has been considerably reduced by the use of the aeroplane and wireless.