Each forest fire that burns means a loss of forest resources. Timber,
forage, wildlife are destroyed; soil erosion follows; everybody loses.
Fires are always a menace in the summertime and more than half of them
occur because some careless smoker or camper does not take care of his
match, cigarette, pipe, or campfire. From 1909 to the close of 1939, 229
fires, which burned over 25,649 acres, have occurred. In recent years
the Shoshone National Forest has suffered heavy losses from two large
fires and an increasing number of smaller ones. The Crandall fire in
1935 burned over 12,600 acres. This tremendous and staggering loss was
the result of the carelessness of _ONE MAN_. In 1937, the tragic
Blackwater fire occurred. Although only 1,254 acres of forest were
destroyed, the fire resulted in one of the worst disasters in the
history of the Forest Service fire fighting. Fifteen men, whose memory
has been perpetuated in the Firefighters Memorial paid the supreme
sacrifice.
New improvements are being constructed in the never-ending fight to
prevent or quickly control forest fires. Equipment, such as the Bosworth
fire trencher, is being developed. This is a small machine which is
guided by an operator and motored by a marine engine. The motor propels
a series of steel lugs which kick out dirt and debris and speedily clear
a fire trail down to mineral soil. Fire towers, which will make visible
a large part of the forest, are in process of construction or are
contemplated. In addition to the new tower on Clayton Mountain, another
is being erected on Windy Mountain, located about 6 miles south of the
Crandall Ranger Station. This will make visible a large portion of this
immense country in the North Absaroka wilderness, including the area
burned in the Crandall Creek fire of 1935.
[Illustration: F-385833
_High ranges produce fat lambs._]
Another tower on Clay Butte, near Beartooth Lake, will provide better
protection for the scenic Beartooth Plateau and the Clarks Fork Valley.
When a smoke is spotted, the lookout observer determines the bearing to
the fire and phones this information to a ranger or the forest
supervisor so that action may be taken. If the lookout is uncertain of
the stream valley or other topographical feature by which the fire can
be located and best reached, a cross shot is obtained from another
lookout station, if possible. In case of a large fire, an airplane
cruise is sometimes made to observe the progress of the fire and
determine the best way of controlling it.