BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT FIRE FIGHTING SCHOOL IS UNDERWAY
By Mary Halm
Fifteen men began two weeks
of intensive fire control training
today in a special school directed
by the Bureau of Land Manage
ment of the Interior.
Richard Quintus, Fairbanks
District Manager of the BLM
said that to fulfill the bureau’s
responsibility of protecting pub
lic lands from fire damage they
must hire and train young men
in every phase of fire control.
The men Who are training as fire
coyirol aids will act as supervisors
over the emergency fire fighters
who are called into the field when
big fires break out. The group will
train for a month at the smoke
jumper building of the BLM Fire
Control Headquarters. 3Va Mile
Airport Road.
Men In Training
Men now in training who have
been screened from more than 50
applicants with fire fighting experi
ence are: Lynn Brant. Delta Junc
tion: Thomas B. Crane, Marcy. New
York: Howard T. Forsythe. Living
ston. Montana: Carl F. Friberg. Leo
nides. Michigan: Reginald D. Hahn.
Spokane, Wash.; Lowell D. King,
Huntingdon. Penn.; George L. Kit
son. Fairbanks: Troy W. Kurth,
Jackson. Wyo.
Lewis R. LaFleur. Claremont,
Calif.; Richard H. Malchaw, Eugene,
Ore.: Carlton K. Scott. Logan, Utah:
Walter R. Vennum, Waitsburg.
Wash;. Larry W. Vincent. Taos. New
Mexico: Floyd S. Vorhies, Fair
banks: and Walter C. Winston, Ida
ho Springs. Colo.
Several of the above have had
Familiar Voice Is
Set To Narrate
Alaskan Wonders
Alaskans visiting the 49th State’s
exhibit at the Seattle World's Fair
will hear a familiar voice present
ing the 12-minute narration outlin
ing Alaska’s wonders to show vis
itors.
Governor William A. Egan re
ports that former Fairbanks resi
dent Don McCune. widely known
throughout Alaska for his radio and
television work, has volunteered to
narrate the commentary now being
recorded together with special light
ing and other effects for presenta
tion several times an hour during
the six month's showing of the
world-wide exposition.
The Governor, after hearing the
descriptive monologue prepared by
Alaska writer Herb Hilscher of An
chorage. predicted the Alaska pre
sentation “will be one of the most
effective of the entire World's Fair.”
Get me out
of this joint.
I’ll he a good
dog, believe me!
Have you lost
your dog?
He May Be
Down Here!
There are all kinds of good,
homeless dogs you may have
for a small sum.
Come down and see them
Open 7:30 to 4:30
Daily, Except Sunday
FAIRBANKS
City 0og Pound
PHONE GL 6-6228
1900 Block on 2nd Ave.
previous Alaska experience. Others
with considerable experience who
will arrive here June 1, are James
W. Berka, John R. Oconnell, Mis
soula, Mont.; Michael H. Brady,
Fairbanks.
Anchorage BLM personnel partici- >
pating in the conference as direc- |
tors or instructors include Roger
R. Robinson, State Director; Ed
ward J. Hoffman, Chief, Division
Range and Forest Management:
Dennis E. Hess. Chief. Branch Pro- !
tection; Richard Thompson. State
Training Officer; James Thurston.
Anchorage District Training Of
ficer; James Scott. Anchorage Dis
trict Fire Control Officer.
Assist In Program
Fairbanks men assisting in the
program are Quintus, Richard H.
DeDoSquet, Fairbanks Fire Control
Officer; Joseph P. Kastelic, Assist
ant Fire Control Officer; Melvin D.
Clausen, Fairbanks Fire District
Supervisor: and Wallace G. Fixsen.
Delta Fire District Supervisor.
On May 1, 21 BLM Smokejumpers
who have already had fire control
training will begin training here
1 and then June 1, 20 more smoke
jumpers on loan from the U.S. For
est Service in Missoula. Montana
| will come here to assist for a month
in the most dangerous fire month,
f Registration for emergency fire
fighters began on April 1. Officials
anticipate 400 to 500 emergency fire
fighters in Fairbanks. An addition
al 500 or so fighters are available in
the native villages throughout in
terior Alaska.
There are two districts in Alaska.
The Fairbanks one reaches north to
the Arctic circle and west to the
Bering Sea. Some 225 million acres
of that area are actively protected
by the BLM—this is the largest area
in one district in the United States.
Moran Wins Suit
Against ‘Outside’
Insurance Firms
One of the longest lawsuits in
Fairbanks memory was concluded
recently when Jack Moran was
awarded $48,551 in his suit against
two “outside” insurance companies.
The case took 13 days.
Moran was also awarded interest
on the amount from March 3, 1953.
The verdict was against underwrit
ers at Lloyds of London, and the
Continental Fire and Casualty In
surance Company of Dallas, Texas.
Moran sued the two companies
when they failed to pay an insur
ance claim on the loss by fire on
March 3. 1953 of the Congo Club.
Edgar Paul Boyko and Charles E.
Tulin were the attorneys for the
plaintiff.
Moran hailed the award as a vic
tory for the people of Alaska over
“oui side” insurance companies.
1961 Forest Fires
During the 1961 season 1,547 acres
of Alaskan forest and brush land
were burned—“the smallest number
in the history of the state," accord
ling to Quintus. This all time low
was undoubtedly due to the large
amount of rain last summer. He
said that the average amount taken
; by fire over the last 10 years is
1817,062 acres. The worst fire year
was 1957 when 5.034.554 acres
burned.
There were 77 fires in the Fair
banks District last year—16 were
no action fires! 12. false alarms;
and 49. action fires. Lightning caused
25; campfires. 9; smokers, 4; debris
burning, 20: incendiary, 2; miscel
laneous. 17. The largest fire was 400
acres.
Quintus said thet the bureau has
the latest of fire control methods
and equipment including a large
storage tonnage of chemical borate.
Helicopters are chartered to help
with the fires and an extensive ra
dio network aids in locating fire
and communicating with fighters.
“Aircraft detection of fires for
the most part is absolutely free to
the government. We rely on the co
operation of public and private
pilots whose cooperation thus far
has been excellent,” emphasized
Quintus.
Because of the vast amount of
territory that must be protected,
there are no look-out towers in the
state, however to date the sighting
of fires by citizens has been a suf
ficient means of locating fires.
■———i
!
MASONIC TEMPLE
Masonic Temple, 809 First Ave. Dial GL 2-2836
Tanana Lodge No. 162 F&AM
Third Degree Wednesday, April 4. 7 P.M.
Third Degree. Wednesday. April 11. 8 P.M.
Elmer A. Lanstra Worshipful Master
Forbes L. Baker, Secretary
Midnight Sun Chapter No. 6, C.E.S.
Second Friday of Each Month
Pearl Scherer. Worthy Matron
Mary Helen Chaddon, Secretary
ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT!
Permit No. 2
Sponsored by
Fairbanks Fire Dept.
Tickets For Sale
From the Following
All-American
Smoke Shop
Co-Op Photo &
Drug
Mecca Bar
Pastime Bar
Nevada Bar
Sportland
Swanson Corner
Northward Lounge
Elks Club
Eagles Club
International Bar
Silver Dollar Bar
Arctic Bowl
Lounge
Ede's Bar
Eva McGown
Club Alaskan
Riviera Boafel
Redwood
Fairbanks Bar
Foodland
North Pole
Trading Post
1909— May 9
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1914— May 9.
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1918— May 10.
1920- May 14.
1921- May 10.
1922- May 3.
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1926- April 23 .
1927- May 9..
1928- May 1..
1929- May 4..
1930- May 2..
1931- May 8..
1932- April 28 .
1933- May 5...
1934- April 27..
CHENA
ICE BREAKUP DATES
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1935— May 14
1936— April 27
1937— May 11
1938— May 3
1939— April 27.
1940— April 21.
1941— April 28.
1942— April 29.
1943— April 23.
1944— April 30
1945— May 16.
1946— April 30.
1947— May 1.
1948— May 10.
1949— May 10.
1950— May 1..
1951— April 25..
1952— April 29..
1953— April 28..
1954— April 30..
1955— April 26..
1956— April 27..
1957— April 17..
1958— April 18..
1959— May 1...
1960— April 25...
1961— April 23...
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Classic Closes Tues. Midnt. Apr. 10, 1962