National Affairs: Fiery Mountains

Through the rich forests of six western States last week swept devastating fire. Lack of rain had made the vast timberlands ripe for flames. Suddenly, scattered fires in central Idaho came together, beat back firefighters, bore down on farms, ranches and towns. Two towns were razed as their inhabitants fled to the open country. Many fugitives stayed for hours up to their necks in mountain streams, caught pneumonia. Animals, wild and domestic, were burned to death running. The heat stirred up tornadoes that fanned the flames to fresh heights. Mining camps were leveled, two more towns destroyed. Simultaneously forest fires broke out in Washington, Montana, Wyoming. Colorado, California, spreading the same disaster. Six men were burned to death in Idaho, five in Montana, two in California. The damage ran high into the millions.

To the terror of the Boise Basin’s greatest natural disaster was added a new. worse terror: pyromaniacs. Behind a fire-fighting crew Leaped a fresh, incendiary blaze, nearly trapping the crew. Other fires broke out. Governor C. Ben Ross proclaimed a state of insurrection, despatched national guardsmen to the region. Forty-five “undesirables” were ejected. Next day three counties were under martial law, all civil functions at a standstill while 6,000 men fought the flames, prayed for rain to help them do what they could not do alone.