FOREST FIRE!

A concise history of the methods used in fighting forest fires through the years is filled with information on the importance of our national forests, scientific data on how fires start and the differences between them, stories of men in action. From the CCC boys of the thirties through the smoke -- jumpers and fixed wing crews of the sixties, techniques have grown in effectiveness. The work and training of rangers, fireguards, lookouts, helitacks (men who land from helicopters in rugged country) as well as dramatic descriptions of famous forest fires, bring the reader up to date and impress him with the horrendous task of fire control. The biography of Smokey, the Bear who evolved from an advertising gimmick to a real live cub, the rules of fire prevention and the methods of reforestation are also discussed. In no way a dry or preachy account, this is thoroughly readable and recommended.