Helicopters in Service to Fighr '55 Fires; Aims Told

Forest Fire Roundtoble

liureka, Calif.-The current forest fire season has started out to be the u'orst in many years, according to opinions expressecl by leading region fire-fighters at the fourth annual Forest Fire Roundtable this stlmlner. The ltoundtable u'as sPcinsored by the Fire Preventiou committee of the Redrvood Region Conservation cottncil for the purpose of cliscussing current fire protection problems, according to Glen T)eitz, Nortl.rern Redu,ood Lumber Company, Korbel, committee chairman.

On the day the Roundtable was being held, 21 new forest fires broke out in Humboldt county from lightning strikes, starting off a possible explosive situation very early in the season.

In a discussion of current fire protection planning by logging operators, John Yingst of Simpson Redrvood Compan1., Klamatl.r, said that all rvoods operators rvere exercising extreme caution this year, rvith fire tools already out on the job and in some cases in use.

Reporting for the State f)ivisirin of Forestry in llumboldt and Del Norte counties, Ranger \\rilliam Siler of Fortuna said that the division had abottt the same number of regtrlar fire-fighting personnei this year, but that their forces had been reinforced rvith 30 tnen from the High Rock honor camp in southern l{trnrboldt. In addition, l-re said, 175 more trainecl fire fighters \\iere available from San Quentin prison if needed.

Fire dispatcher Earl N'Iadray of Six Rivers National Forest, Errreka, reported that the Six Rivers forest had already been harcl hit by lightning frres and that all available fire fighters u.ere out rvorking. He saicl, hor.vever, that Six Rivers had experienced a decline in man-caused fires during the past four years from 30 in 1951 to only 11 last year. Horvever, one fire caused by a carelesslytossed match or cigarette, has burned 300 :rcres in the Willorv Creek sector.

Dailv fire l'eather forecasts to netvspapers, radios, and men in the u'oods rvill be resumed in the Klamath, Eureka, Ukiah, and Fort Bragg areas of the Redu,ood Region, accortling to a report from the RRCC Fire Prevention committee. F'orecasts were startecl immediateiy, and will outline daily forest fire danger compile<l from relative humidity, temperature, rvind velocity, fuel ruoisture, and other factors.

Helicopter service rvill be available in the nortir coast area immediately for fire fighting and other uses, zrccording to Rae llou,ry of Coast Air Service, Arcata. Horvry said that a $45,000 helicopter lvill be available from Coast starting this year for fire patrol and transportation of fire fighters and equipment into otherrvise inaccessible areas, thus saving many hours rvhere fires are in rrrgged terrain arvay from roads.

Stuart Schick, State Division of Forestry fire prevention offrcer from Santa Rosa, outlined legal responsibilities of rvoods oDerators rvith relation to forest fires. Fred