After the 1924 fire on Antelope Mountain, west of Eagle Lake, Fruit Growers Supply Company (FGS) revaluated thier standard method of fire prevention. At that time they piled brush and slash (tree limbs and tops left behind once the logs were removed). They adopted a new method, building a series of fire lanes. The fire lanes were 100 feet wide and completely void of vegetation, each encircling 100-acre sections of timber. They were formed by a special V-drag plow hooked to a Caterpillar tractor which could clear up to six miles of fire lanes a day. The lanes not only served as firebreaks, but also provided quick access in case of a emergency.
After each 100-acre area was logged, all the dead trees, or snags were felled, because left standing, they deemed them a fire hazard. Once the snags were felled, however, they again became potential fuel, this time on the forest floor. After the first substantial snowfall, the fire crew burned the snags and slash.
During the fire season, two crews of eight to ten men work as a fire prevention team. It was their job to build fire lines, oversee brush and slash piling, remove dead snags and maintain the telephone lines. The telephone “boxes” were attached throughout the forest, to allow for daily monitoring between the logging camps and the mill. The telephone system was also used to report a fire or an accident when medical aid was required.
