U.S. FOREST FIRES IN SEVEN STATES AND IN CANADA

Grey River Argus, 24 August 1949, Page 2

U.S. FOREST FIRES IN SEVEN STATES AND IN CANADA

NEW YORK. Aug. 22 Fierce fires are x’aging to-day in seven American States and in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. In Quebec to-day, 80 forest fires burned —12 of them out of control. Forestry officials said the high winds and lack of rain made the situation serious.

The worst fires in Ontario is in 400 acres of timbex’ neax- the village of Irondale, which is threatened. Volunteers have been rushed to the area by plane. Other aircraft are hovering ovei’ the district, radioing directions to the fire-fighters. The worst American fires are in Idaho and Wyoming. Others are burning in Montana, Utah, Oregon, Washington and California. ■Six majoi' fires are out of control —three in Payette National Forest, Central Idaho, and three in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

The most dangerous fire is a 7000acre blaze in Hell’s Canyon, in the Payette forest. Several fire-fighters there suffered burns when a high wind swept the flames down on them.

The area of the outbreaks is drought-stricken and lightning has caused ovex' 300 fires through an estimated 33,000 acres of timber. Thousands of fire fighters are fighting a desperate battle trying to control the most serious of them.

FRENCH FOREST HRE DEATH ROLL 230

PARIS. Aug 22. Tired, smoke-blackened fire-fight-ers and troops to-day found more charred bodies in the smouldering ashes of trees and undergrowth bringing the total death-roll in the Landes region to about 230. This figure was given by the Prefect of the Gironde district. Many of the blackened bodies had their fingers buried in. soft, sandy earth, trying in theix’ last despexjate moments, to escape by scraping holes. Many of the dead’ had been firefighters. This afternoon, fire-fighters were switched to Cazalis, where a swxtt burning fire has bx'Oken out and is travelling towards Callon in the Landes Department. Refugees speak of the fires advancing “with the speed of a galloping horse” and leaving behind a desert .of ashes. Fires Under Control (Rec. 11.40) PARIS. August 23. The commander-in-chief of the fire fighting forces in the southwest of France, Colonel Maruelle, announced today that the forest fire in the Gironde Department were under control on the whole front, nevertheless orders have been issued to six thousand troops and hundreds of civilian fire fighters that no chances must be taken of a second outbreak.