Georgia forestry, Vol. 5, no. 12 (Dec. 1952)

OF GEORGL4 Jalltlrru.l'"'

MERRY CHRISTMAS HAPPY NEW YEAR!

DECEMBER 1952
It'{ OLL.

GEORGIA FORESTRY
11 Army11 Fights For Timberlands

Forest Fire Emergency Declared As

Blazes Sweep North Georgia Woods

Georgia's greatest forest fire crisis i n the history of the state forestry organization developed with near-disastrous rapidity the first week of November as more than 1, 360 wildfires - many of

1n Gilmer County and along the ridges, slopes and coves of Lookout Mountain and Pigeon Mountain in Walker County. Others of the hardest -hit counties were Dade, Pickens, Chattooga, Hall and

the crisis became known. Working against almost overwhelming odds of dry, windy, bitter-cold weather and impassable mountain terrain, the force of numbers was rapidly brought to bear on the

them of several thousand or several hundred acres in size -swept
through Georgia's woodlands, and
brought a Forest Fire Emergency ~claration covering the Seventh, Ninth, and Fifth Congressional

Cherokee, with nearly all counties reporting a record rash of fires and great difficulty in suppressing blazes. The parched, tinder-dry forest and ground cover made a roaring inferno and

fires. Directing ''Operation Fire Sup-
pression'' both from his Atlanta headquarters and from the air and ground at the fire scenes, was Guyton ~Loach, Georgia Forestry

Districts. North Georgia's isolated and
boulder-studded mountains, with their vast, unbroken stretches of timber and inacessible valleys

were e:xceedingly difficult to control in the mountains where the terrain and inacessibility made it impossible to utilize plows, vehicles and mobile equip-

Conmission Director. DeLoach issued the following
declaration and invoked the ban on burning when it became evident that disaster threatened North

and ridges, were the scene of the ment- sheer manpower and hand- Georgia's wooded areas:

roost ravaging and disastrous blazes. Fast moving, wildlyspreading fires - firey, timbereating giants - raged across the mountains northeast of Ellijay

tools were the only answer. An "Army'' of men and tools
was assembled in record time and placed on the fire line of battle at once when the full threat of

''EMERGENCY AREA: Under authority of Sections 9(a) and 9(b) of the Act of 1951, Georgia Laws 1951, page 697, 698, the Director of the State Forestry

FOREST FLAMES IN NORnt GEORGIA AREA LIGHT UP NIGHTIME SKIES, FEED UPON TIMBERLAND
Woods Fires Make Impressive Sight But Leave Charred, Blackened stumps In Wake

Commission hereby declares that because of drought and other conditions there exists an unusual hazard to the destruction of property in the following Congressional Districts of Georgia: the Fifth, Seventh and Ninth; that he hereby prohibits the setting on fire of any woods, lands or marshes within the area, and any person who shall start or cause to be started any fire in or near any woods will be prosecuted to the full extent of the Georgia Law.
''This 7th Day of November, 1952.
H. GUYTON DELOACH Director, State Forestry Commission
Implementing the declaration's warning, law enforcement officers of the Commission and local agencies apprehended and served war-
rants on more than a dozen persons in North Georgia, with many bonds rangwg up to $1,000. Others who violated the ''no burn~ ing'' . ban are being investigated, and most are expected to be ' 'more respectful of our forest fire
(Continued on Page 3)

WILDFIRE AND MEN WHO MAP BATTLE LINES--Nightime flames , (above) , licking hungrily along the sides of a North Georgia mountain, leave acres of devastated timberland. State Forester Guyton DeLoach, (seated below), maps battle lines and directs attack on wildfires with assistance from (standing, left to right), Lieutenant William Edwards, Captain L.C. Johnson, and Lieutenant Leon McNeely, Company A, 122nd National Guard Infantry Regiment; Captain A. L. Cloud, Civil Air Patrol; and Major W. E. Chancey, Headquarters Staff of the 122nd.

3

GEORGIA FORESTRY

Searing Flames~

Charred Woodlands....

(Continued from Page 2)

laws in the future, declares doors burning until Georgia's

the Conmission' s Chief Investi- forests have been thorough! y sat-

gator, E. H. Terry.

urated with a long, steady, soak-

Estimates indicated that some

ingrain.''

70,000 acres of timberlands were

Georgian's disregard of the

destroyed by the devastating warnings pushed higher and higher

flames, and reports showed loss

the daily report totals of number

of nine barns, 21 hanes, a shop, of fires starting during a single

a building, a sawmill, a storage, day and number still burning at

house, livestock and other perso- night fall.

nal property. E. E. Blalock, in All leaves-of-absence were can-

unprotected White County, report- celled by the Conmission as fire

ed loss of $25,000 in standing danger climbed. Twenty-four hour

timber by fires that threatened watches were kept in the Atlanta

Helen and Robertstown. Hunting in 12 North Georgia

Headquarters in preparation of
immediate activation of Commission forces.

Counties was banned by executive

With the declaration of an emer-

order of Governor Talmadge, gency, all available personnel

through the Georgia Game and Fish and equipment were rushed to the

Commission, as fire danger ap- fire scene. Supplies, men and

proached the critical stage. hand tools from the less dangerous

Daily reports from District Forestry offices had given warn-

South Georgia area were expedited to battle the mountainous flames.

ing to the Commission's Atlanta headquarters as fire weather danger built up day by day. All services of the Commission repeatedl y appealed to landowners through the press and radio to '' refrain from any and all out-

The first emergency headquarters for the Commission was set up in Cloudland Canyon State Park in Walker County, as the Lookout and Pigeon Mountain fires in Walker and those in Dade and Chattooga Counties continued to race

NOT ~LY FORESTS BURNE()
This Once Was A Home over the countryside. Canteen and sleeping facilities were prepared in a church, giving weary
fire-fighters a few hours of relief from the searing flames and choking smoke. All fire crews in that vicinity were directed from the Cloudland Headquarters.
Sets of stationery two-way radio equipment, rushed to the scene, were basic communications for dispatching and relocating men and equipment, reporting fire conditions, and relaying infor-

SMOKE FROM HUNDREDS OF WOODS FIRES HANGS HEAVY PAIL OVER NORm GEORGIA MOUNTAINLANDS In Other Times The Green Forests Of Growing Pine Formed A Wonderland Of Natural Beauty

mation to surrounding areas . Guard Units combed the area fighting fires, and ''covered the mountains with walkie-talkies," according to Lester L. Lundy, fire boss in the Walker camp, and Assistant to the Commission's
Fire Control Chief. As the Gilmer County area burst.
into flames and fires crept along mountainous miles of underbrush and forest, another Emergency Headquarters camp was located in Ellijay at the clubhouse of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. More dangerous terrain was encountered in northeast Gilmer, as inaccessible forests stretched 25 miles in front of the fires with no natural fire breaks, roads or (Continued on Page 10)

SEARING FLAMES OF FOREST FIRES OBSERVE NO BOUNDARY LINES Fenceposts Serve Only As Fuel In Path 0 f North Georgia Fire

WILDFIRE INFORMATION--Work done by these men, (below), near Ellijay and hundreds more like them, as well as announcements of the emergency period, (lower right), were brought to the public' s attention via the airwaves and many newspaper banner headlines (at right).

FOREST FIRE EMERGENCY
DECLARED BY
Guyt on Deloach, Director, Georgia Forestry Commission
No Burning Allowed !
UNDER ORDI:.R OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE FORESTRY COM"11SSION THE STARTING OR CAUSING TO BE STARTED OF ANY FIRE IN OR NEAR THF WOODS ON HIS OWN LAND OR ON LANDS OWNED BY ANOTHER HAS BEEN PRO~:IR'TED IN THIS COUNTY, AND ANY PERSON WHO SHALL START OR CAUSE TO Bf. ST ARTEO ANY FIRE IN OR NEAR ANY WOODS WilL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF TH[ GEORGIA LAW. UNDER SECTIONS 9ta) AND 9(h) OF AfTS OF 1951, GA. LAWS 1951 p. 697, !l98.
This Cou11.ty Declared
En1.ergency Area ! !

5
When the dreaded cry ''Forest fires, " is issued, an army of men and machinery swings into action.
This picture story portrays the coordination necessary between all branchesof a "fire figtttingarmy" before the terrible enemy of the forest can be defeated.
I. A national Guard captain and sergeant form a communications team.
2. A pall of woodsfire smoke lies low over a highway.
3. Plows and hand tools help build fire breaks.
4. Hundreds of miles of firebreaks were constructed.
5. A Georgia Forestry Commission Oistrict Ranger scans the skies for signs of rain.
6. Fire crews are directed by walkie talkie.
7. Raking firebreaks is hot, heavy work.
8. "Chow Time," a welcome call for an army of firefighters.
9. Stretchers are made ready for wildfire victims.
10, Medical supplies are opened. 11. A Baptist c~mp at Cloudland Canyon State Park serves as headquarters for one of tne many firefightin-g groups which gathered in the North Georgia area to battle the devastating flames ofwilufire.

7

GEORGIA FORESTRY
Competition Stiffens

Keep Green Meetings

International Paper Company's

newest comic forestry booklet en-

titled ''The Little Trees That

Went to School' ' has just been

published and is being distribut-

ed to all sixth, seventh and eigh-

th grade school students through-

out Georgia and the ten southern
states. Altogether 1,500,000

youngsters in the South will read

the booklet.

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The newest booklet is the fourth in the outstanding series being presented annually by Interna tional. Previous years' editions "How Money Goes Up In Smoke," and "The Crop That Did Not Fail."
In Georgia distribution of the booklets is being made by County Foresters and County Rangers in counties operating forest;ry units, while in unprotected counties the various cmmty school super~ ~endents are making the deliver 1es.
Attractively presentedin multicolor, the comic booklet tells the story of natural and artificial reforestation, cone and seed collection and seed-bed production of seedlings, fire prevention, and planting of a school forest, and stresses the protec
tion of tree seedlings from fire.

Stirnulate Enthusiasrn

Renewed interest, energetic cipate will be held to reacquaint

support and a more competitive KeepGreen groups with objecti:ves

spirit will prevail throughout and merits of such a campa1gn

Georgia's forest fire protected counties this year dur_ing. t~e

against the forests arch enemy-fire.

Georgia Forestry Assoc1at1on s seco~d annual Forest. F~re Pr:even t1on Con tes ~. . Meet1ngs ~n

The 'Kickoff" meeting, re-
cently held in Atlanta, drew together leaders from throughout

every county ehg1ble to part1-

the state who hope to gain contest

Forestry,

top honors for their particular locality. ClarkGaines,Director, Georgia Department of Commerce, told the group the Commerce De-

Conservation partment stood ready to help each county in its ''better forests''

drive. B. M. Lufburrow, Secre-
Essay Themes tary, Georgia Forestry Associaoutlined new and old plans for

Hundreds of Georgia school children in the fifth, sixth and seventh grades are now participating in the Mark Trail COnservation essay COntest, with a total
of $500 in prize money awaiting
the winners. The contest is being directed by the Georgia Federation of Women's Clubs and is sponsored by the Georgia Power Company.

this year's contest and pointed out that ''Georgia's forests belong to everyone. Everyone should ~trive to protect and perpetuate this great natural resource.''
Guyton DeLoach, Director, Georgia Forestry Commission, place~ the full support of the Commission behind the forestry protection drive. ''This contest mat-
erially helped to conserve thousanas ot acres oi our valuable

The students are writing on the subject, ''What We Can Do To Pro-

timberlands 1as t year , and we believe i t wi 11 go a long way to-

tect our Forests and Wildlife,''
and the prizes include a $150 prize to the winner, $100 for second place, $75 for third, and
seven honorable mention prizes
of $25 each. In addition, each of
the top three winners will re-
ceive an original Mark Trail Sun-
day drawing from Ed Dodd, creator
of Mark Trail. Contest rules specify that the
essays shall not be more than 250

ward eventual 'complete respect' for one of Georgia's biggest and best crops - her forests -. ' '
District Foresters from each
of the"Commission's 10 Forestry
Districts attended the meeting and each has scheduled similar sessions in all ''forestry protected" counties in his own tertitory. Gaines, Lufburrow and
DeLoach will tour throughout

words in length, entries are Georgia making speeches, coordi-

limited to those in the fifth,

nating program plans, re-energiz-

sixth and seventh grades, and ing councils and committees,

judging will be on the basis of organizing, building interest

originality and knowledge. Papers are to be submitted to the District Conservation Chairmen of the Federation of Women's Clubs
prior to February 1, 1953, and
prizes will be awarded at the Federation's state conevntion in April in Atlanta. Awards will be made by Dodd and Harlee Branch, president of Georgia Power Company.

and support, and adding impetus to local Keep Green Councils.
The contest, which ends with the ~ril 1 meeting of the Georgia Forestry Association, offers
$2,000 in prizes.
An additional prize of $100
will be awarded this year to the County Forester or Forest Ranger of the top ranking county.

BATTLE AGAINST WILDFIRE--National Guardsmen and Georgia Forestry Commission personnel, (above), confer on methods of attack. Firelines, (upper right), are raked. Members of LaFayette football team, (lower right), fight flames. Tractor, (below, center), used to plow firebreak. Heat from flames drives fire line crew, (lower left), back fran line for momentary rest.

Vol. 5

GEORGIA FORESTRY
December, 1952
Published Monthly by the
GEORGIA FORESTRY COJ\Il\IISSION, State Capitol, Atlanta, Geo1gia. Guyton DeLoach, Dtrector

No. 12

Members, Board of Commissioners:

G. Philip Morgan, Chairman................................................................................................Savannah

John M. McElrath........................Macon C. M. Jordan, Jr...............................Alamo

K. S. Varn....................................Waycross H. 0. Cummings............Donalsonville

Georgia Forestry is entered as second-class matter at the Post Office under the Act of August 24, 1912. Member of the Georgia
Press Association.
* * * *
EDITOR...............................................................................................- .................- ...................R. E. Davis ASSOCIATE EDITOR.________, __________________________________________ Patricia McKemie

* * * *

DISTRICT OFFICES, GEORGIA FORESTRY CO.M:MISSION:

DISTRICT I-P. 0. Box 268, Statesboro

DISTRICT VI-P. 0. Box 404, Milledgeville

DISTRICT 11-P. 0. Box 26,

DISTRICT VII-Route 1,

Camilla

Rome

DISTRICT 111-P. 0. Box 169, Americus

DISTRICT VIII-P. 0. Box 811, Waycross

DISTRICT IV-P. 0. Box 333, Newnan

DISTRICT IX- P . 0. Box 416, Gamesville

DISTRICT V-P. 0. Box 96, McRae

DISTRICT X-P. 0 . Box 302, Washington

/
Georgia
Lumber Cut Tops South
During the first quarter of 1952 Georgia led the entire south in lumber production and was exceeded in the nation only by Oregon and Washington, according to a recent re{>Ort by the U. S. Department of Corrmerce.
Lumber production of softwoods and hflrtl'Hods during the perior~ covered 'by the report showed Georgia's forests yielded 635, 117,000 board feet composed of

WOMEN IN FORESTRY--Doris Easlor, woman operator of a Crawford County forest fire lookout tower is only. one of many feminine smoke detectors who skan Georgia's skies. Mounting the steps to her lofty post, (above), the towerwoman maintains a daylight to dark vigil over Crawford's vast timberlands. After taking an alidade reading, (below), Miss Eason reports fire location and size to Unit Headquarters.

560,194, roo softwood and 74,983,
000 hardwood counts.
Oregon produced a total of 1,979,806,000 and Washington's production reached 785,514,000 board feet.
Sawmill stocks of softwoods and hardwoods up to March 31, 1952 gave East" Gulf States, made up of Georgia, Alabama and Florida, total "soft\\Ood stocks of 312,072, 000 and total hardwood stocks of 164,542,000 board feet.
The report listed the total production of the South for the first quarter as 3, 424,649, 000 board feet. Softwoods amounted to 2, 624, 866,000 (southern yellow pine, 2,436, 119,000) and hardwoods accounted for 799,783,000
(Ash 8,826,000; Beech 9,373,000; Elm 9,972,000; Gum, red, sap, and sweet 138, 103,000; Gum, tupelo and black 60,918,000; oak386, 176,000; sycamore 7, 126,000; yellow poplar 109,428,000; and other hardwoods 39,109,000 board feet.)
Total production in the Pnited States came to 8, 503,555,000 board feet. This total was comprised of 6,830,247,000 softwoods and 1,673,308,000 hardwoods.

TRACTffi AND PLOW UNIDAOOD IN NOR1H GIDRGIA WOODS- -De- (upper left). Young trees, tall green pines, game, termined to halt onrushing flames, all available Commis- wildlife food and shelter, were destroyed as blazes sion men and equi (lllent were rushed to emergency area, engulfed thousandsoftimberlandacres, (upper right).
''Worst Rash of Wildfires''...

(Continued from Page ~)

trails to halt the on-rushing blazes. Norman E. Brooks, Forest Engineer of the Commission, and SamBiechler, U.S. Forest Service, took charge of the Gilmer fire fighting.
Activation of National Guard Units came with the continuance of the out-breaking fires. Hea,dquarters Company, Companies A and H, and a Medical Company, all from the 122nd Infantry Regiment, were dispatched to the fire lines.
Emergency appeals flashed over the radio airwaves throughout northwest Georgia urging all men to report immediately to the fire scene to man rakes, flaps and shovels in an effort to stem the conflagration engulfing the area.
Relating that the list of individuals, agencies and groups who furnished ''men, trucks, tractors, hand tools, bedding, shelter, and dozens of other services,'' would cover many pages, DeLoach sin~led out the ''National Guard Units, which started right in and did not stop fighting

until the fires were out; members of the State Highway Patrol, who did everything from escorting vitally needed large equipment into the emergency are a to directing traffic around fire scenes; the State Highway Department which made available additional men and equipment; and the Civil Air Patrol whose aviators made continual surveys of fire areas, spotting fires, reporting conditions, and directing fire crews to fire scenes by the nearest and quickest routes.
''All Georgians can be proud of the rapid, dependable reporting of fire situations and conditions by the press and radio in our state,'' DeLoach stated, and added, ' 'warning the public of what could happen if all were not careful, carrying appeals for additional men, equipment and supplies, keeping the public abreast of the immediate happenings and damage of these fires, the newspapers, wire services and radio stations in Georgia rendered an invaluable service.

''The willing and ready volunteers, local law enforcement officials, high school groups and others who turned their efforts to stifling this rash of forest fires, aided in saving thousands of acres of Georgia's valuable timberland and other property.
''The Boy Scouts pitched in; the
SalvationArmy came to our rescue;
the Georgia Federation of Women's Clubs helped, all trying to rid Georgia of it's greatest fire threat in many years.
''Last, but not least,'' Director DeLoach continued, ''I personally would like to thank each Commission member for serving efficiently, effectively and diligently throughout the many days and nights that fire raged through our State. Many men came hundreds of miles from their home base to combat the North Georgia fires. All served until exhaustion demanded rest. We in the Commission are proud of our personnel for this faithful service rendered not only to the Commission, but to the people of Georgia.''

Georgia Forestry
December 1952
J\ [}{)@[b0@W [}{)j.\~W~~iJ
Christmas without a tree is like Thanksgiving without a turkey. Christmas trees, like turkeys, are farm crops. Growing trees for the holiday market is a big busi ness in many parts of America.
Christmas trees are one of the valuable forest crops you protect when you are careful with fire in wooded areas. Prevent forest fires and Keep America Green,

Entered aeeond clau atter at the Po.t Ofllce. Atlaata, GeorP..
Library School of Forestry University of Georgia Athens, Georgia