NOTICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF MATANUSKA VALLEY
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The following suggestions, if followed, will help to prevent fire losses to you,
your neighbor and the Territory:
ALL SPRING BURNING OF DEAD GRASS AND BRUSH SHOULD BE DUNE AS THE SNOW LEAVES THE
GROUND. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE GROUND IS THAWED. Fires started thus are more
easily controlled, are not as liable to escape to your neighbor's lands and build
ings or public domain, are not as liable to burn into the deep duff and coal seams,
and will not destroy the nests of birds as do the late season fires. There is
probably less danger of the fireweed over-running the turned areas.
DO NOT TRY TO BURN OFF YOUR ENTIRE AREA AT 0?® TIME. Confine your burning to an
area which you know you can keep und-er control at all times.- Not only will your
burning be done safely but you will actually get a cleaner burn.
DO NOT TRY TO BURN ON WINDY DAYS. Pick quiet days for all burning operations.
Fires create their own draft and will spread by themselves. While a wind is blow
ing you cannot keep your fire under control. Winds can cause your fire to destroy
your neighbor's property as well as your own.
RATHER THAN ATTEMPT TO BURN AY YOURSELF, JOIN FORCES ’71TH YOUR NEIGHBORS AND HELP
EACH OTHER. Any burning is always safer with two or three men watching. Talk to
your older residents and see how ir.any fires they know of that could have been kept
under control if they had had some help immediately when the fire began to get out
of control. They have had experience with fires. Profit by it’
BURN OFF YOUR MOST DANGEROUS AREAS FIRST. Safe burning requires that you plan
your burning operations carefully. Start small fires near your barns and other
buildings and burn the grass away from them first. Then start small stringers of
fire along the edges of your field or property letting them burn towards the
middle of your field. Use your wet sacks to^beat out the outside edge of the fire.
You thus obtain a good effective fire break. If a wind should come up later when
you are burning off the rest of your land you will have much better chances of con
trolling your fire at these breaks. Remember, however, that in this "spot" burn
ing you should never have more than one or two small fires burning at one time.
When you plan to burn - consult Fire Guard of the Alaskan Fire Control Service at
the Falmer Guard Station; he will advise you on safe and correct methods. The
later in the season you burn, the more tools—shovels, mattocks, etc.-you will
need, the deeper you will have to dig to stop the fire, and the harder you will
have to work!
remember: mo fire is out till it is deal out:
YOUR COOPERATION IS APPRECIATED.
ALASKAN FIRL CONTROL SERVICE,