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CAPE COD BRUSH BREAKERS 

HISTORY - IN REVIEW
Brush & Forest Fire Apparatus History
BARNSTABLE COUNTY
 

~ THE STORY ~
~ CAPE COD FOREST FIRE OF 1946 ~
PAGE 4
Page Updated March 8, 2022

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1946 Cape Cod Forest Fire
April 19 - 23, 1946 Burned some 15,000 acres from Bourne to Sandwich
 

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1946 CAPE COD FOREST FIRE
The 1946 Cape Cod Forest Fire started in the northwest corner of the Massachusetts
Military Reservation in the area of the Bourne Bridge. It burned along the Cape Cod Canal
and to the east into Sandwich, South Sandwich, Forestdale, and towards Barnstable.
Over 15,000 acres were burned, stretching 8-1/2 miles in length.

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MOVIE DOCUMENTED 1946 FIRE
Forest Fire Apparatus from around Massachusetts responded.
 

YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE 1946 CAPE COD FOREST FIRE - PART 1

YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE 1946 CAPE COD FOREST FIRE - PART 2

The pictures on this page were taken from a DRC Documentary film made about the 1946 Forest Fire in the Upper Cape  that burned 15,000 acres between Friday April 19 and Tuesday April 23, 1946. Approximately 10 structures were also destroyed. This fire was fairly early in the history of brush breakers, so many other "forestry" type apparatus responded from all over Massachusetts. Over 45 Cities and Towns sent fire trucks to the fire. Assistance was also provided by National Guard soldiers from New Bedford and Fall River.

There were 23 other forest fires burning in Eastern Massachusetts on Sunday April 21st. 

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EARLY BRUSH BREAKERS RESPONDED
The first brush breakers were built in the late 1930s.
By 1946 there were a small number of trucks that could have responded to the fire.
This is the 1939 Ford Breaker 2-5 built by the State Department of Conservation
for District 2 at Myles Standish State Forest.

OTIS FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Massachusetts Military Reservation was established by the Governor in April 1935. Shortly after in 1935, the US War Department approved the acquisition of 200,000 acres of land in the Upper Cape towns of Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth and Mashpee for the purpose of a Training Camp for the Army's 26th Yankee Division National Guard.

A private contractor named Walsh Construction was brought in to build the Camp which included a small unpaved airfield. A small Fire Brigade was formed with 3 apparatus, including a retro-fitted 4 speed 750 gallon "Liberty Truck" tanker and two leased pumpers.

In July 1938 the camp was dedicated as Camp Edwards, named after Major General Clarence Edwards, a former Commander of the Yankee Division. The airfield was named Otis Field, in memory of 1st Lt Frank "Jesse" Otis, a Boston native killed in a plane crash in 1937.

In 1940, the Federal government leased the base from Massachusetts and rapidly expanded its size and scope in preparation for what would become World War II. Over 1,500 structures were constructed within months and three 7,000 foot long paved runways were created.

The fire brigade then included 51 civilian firemen under the command of Fire Chief Clarence Gibbs. The brigade operated for 125 days from September 1940 to January 1941 when construction was completed. The camp was then turned over to the U.S. Army. It is believed that a "brush breaker" was built for the Camp sometime before the camp was turned over to the Army.

A Fire Department was established for the enlarged base. Elmer H James was selected to be the first Fire Chief.  Charles F Dooling and Clarence Gibbs were appointed as Assistant Chiefs. Those three civilian supervisors then hired 6 experienced civilian hosemen/firefighters to become instructors for the 71 soldiers assigned to the base fire department.

Apparatus assigned to the 5 base fire stations included, the Liberty Tanker and "old brush breaker" from the Walsh Construction days, along with 8 new pumpers and a chief's car.

The 1946 movie shows a military green brush breaker of distinct design that carried a < 1 > on its door. It is believed this may have been the "old brush breaker" on an early 1940s Chevy military chassis. It is also believed that this truck ultimately became Bourne Fire Department's No.7. Otis also built a larger brush breaker in 1944.

TOWN OF BARNSTABLE FOREST FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Town of Barnstable established a Forest Fire Department as early as 1922. In 1937, Barnstable built its first "brush breaker" on a 1937 Ford COE chassis. The truck was built in Osterville by Fire Chief Bernard S Ames and Carl Starck and was put in service in early 1937. It carried about 800 gallons of water and could pump and roll with all wheel drive. The truck had steel bars welded on it to protect the truck and enable it to break a trail through the woods to reach a fire. The Barnstable truck was one of the first Cape Cod Brush Breakers and was housed in the Osterville Fire Station.

The Town of Barnstable Brush Breaker responding in to the 1946 fire.

Town of Barnstable Breaker operating in the woods.

Town of Barnstable Breaker closest truck.

SANDWICH VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Sandwich Volunteer Fire Department built a brush breaker in 1938. It was on a Ford COE chassis and carried approximately 1000 gallons of water.

STATE FOREST FIRE DEPARTMENT
The State Department of Conservation built a brush breaker for Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth/Carver in 1939. The Ford 6x6 chassis was manufactured by Robinson Boiler Works in Cambridge. It carried 1000 gallons of water and could pump & roll. The unique push bar design was used on several other brush breakers. The District 2 Plymouth County breaker was called 2-5.

BARNSTABLE COUNTY FOREST FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Barnstable County Forest Fire Department built its first brush breaker in 1939 on a Ford COE chassis. The truck was called No.1 and assigned to the Cotuit Fire Station until 1942 when it was reassigned to the Falmouth Fire Department.

The County built its second brush breaker, called No.2, on a 1942 Ford COE chassis. Robinson Boiler Works in Cambridge built both No.1 and No.2 and they look very similar. The 1942 No.2 was assigned to Cotuit and is shown responding from that station in the movie. Both trucks would have gone to the 1946 fire.

The movie shows volunteer firemen running into the Cotuit Fire Station and responding with the Town of Barnstable Forest Fire Patrol Truck and the 1942 Barnstable County Brush Breaker No.2.

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FIRE TOWERS SPOTTED THE FIRE
The 1946 Forest Fire, and many others, were typically spotted by dedicated men and women
who worked in several Fire Towers across the region. There was an alidade table with a
map in the center of the tower that enabled spotters to "line up" a smoke on a compass
bearing and report it to the appropriate department or authority.

FIRE TOWERS
Several State operated Fire Towers were located in Barnstable and Plymouth County. Within the towers were the alidade table and also a map showing the other fire towers. If two or more towers could see the smoke and determine their "line" or compass bearing, the lines could then be crossed to show approximately where the fire was located.

Towers were typically located on the higher spots or hills to allow the best view of the area.

Maps showing Fire Towers were located within the towers, at most Fire Stations, and even inside the roof of forest fire patrol trucks. This allowed many people to understand where the smoke or fire was and how best to get there.

RADIOS
At the time of the fire in 1946, two way radios were still fairly new and rare. The District Fire Warden, Fire Chiefs and a few other vehicles like patrol trucks and brush breakers were equipped with radios so that they could communicate when out of site as is the case during forest fires. The towers and cars could then call the Fire Stations for additional assistance.
 

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FIRE BURNED FOR 5 DAYS
Brush and Forest Fires often start and burn during the day when warmer temperatures, winds, and
other factors promote their growth. Fires often die down after dark. That is not always the case
and some forest fires can burn many more acres at night when visibility is difficult and fires are
sometimes harder for firefighters to find and fight.
The 1946 fire burned for 5 days from Friday April 19 to Tuesday April 23, 1946,
with over 95 hours of firefighting during periods of strong and shifting winds.

Forest fires can destroy many acres of woodlands, but can also threaten structures, vehicles, and other property impacting the community in many ways. It was often vital for all available hands to help out by using water cans, brooms, rakes, shovels or whatever was available to prevent fires from reaching buildings.

Smaller forest fire trucks could make their way into some areas to reach fires, but were often limited in where they could go and what they could do.

Heavy smoke from raging forest fires can darken the sky.

With hundreds of firefighters, soldiers, and volunteers fighting the fire for many hours a day, it was always good for the Red Cross to show up with coffee and something to eat before going back to work.

A brush truck from Plymouth

Hyannis Fire District Engine 3 was a 1937 GMC pumper.

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HELP FROM MORE THAN 45 DEPARTMENTS
 Fire trucks and firefighters from some 45 Cities and Towns across eastern Massachusetts.

The response included: BARNSTABLE COUNTY
Bourne, Camp Edwards, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Barnstable, Centerville, Hyannis, Dennis, Yarmouth... probably more

PLYMOUTH COUNTY
Carver, Plymouth, Marion, Mattapoisett, Hanson, Bridgewater, Norwell, Middleborough,
Kingston, West Bridgewater, Rockland, Kingston, Marshfield, Whitman, Duxbury,
Scituate, Hanover,

BRISTOL COUNTY
Fairhaven, Taunton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Raynham, North Attleboro,

NORFOLK COUNTY
Braintree, Cohasset, Hull, Wrentham, Sharon, Stoughton, Walpole, Millis, Medway,
Bellingham, Norfolk, Medford, Needham, Westwood, Dover, Mansfield, Wellesley

WORCESTER COUNTY
Westminster

MIDDLESEX COUNTY
Carlisle (State), Natick, Hopkington, Ashland, Sudbury, Framingham, Stoneham,
Hudson, Burlington, Fort Devens

SUFFOLK COUNTY
City of Boston

ESSEX COUNTY
Andover
 

Kingston Forest Fire Truck

Duxbury Fire Truck

West Bridgewater Fire Truck

Mansfield Fire Truck

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