Fruit Growers Supply Company’s Lassen Operation, on the surface seemed ideal–abundant timber supply supply, two billion board feet worth. In 1922, Fruit Growers purchased one-half of that billion board feet from the Lassen National Forest, a story in itself. It should be that timber was intermingled on Fruit Growers and Lassen National Forest property, primarily to the west of Eagle Lake. Early on the two had divergent opinions on fire prevention methods. The forest service  preferred the slash.burning method wherein tree limbs etc would be piled and burned. Fruit Growers said that method was costly, i.e. $13 per-acre. Fruit Growers adopted fire lnes, that other progressive timber companies had adopted. Fruit Growers created fire lanes that were 100 feet wide and completely void of vegetation, each encircling 100-acre sections of timber. They were formed by a specialV-drag hooked to a 60-Caterpillar tractor which could clear up to six miles of fire lines a day. The lanes not only served as firebreaks, but provided quick access in an emergency.

During the fire season, two crews of eight to ten men worked as fire prevention team. It was their job to build fire lines, oversee brush and slash piling, remove dead snags and maintain the company’s private telephone lines. Telephone “boxes” were attached throughout the forest, allowing for daily monitoring between the logging camps and the mill. The telephone system was also used to report fire or an accident when medical aid was needed.

By the end of 1932, the 178 miles of fire lanes constructed over 26,000 acres had proved very effective. Even though three of the. seven years it took to build them were critical fire years, only 53 acres burned. From 1925 to1940, prevention cost $40,373.54, fire fighting only $7,546.65. During World War II the construction of fire lanes was abandoned.

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