CapeCodFD.com |
CAPE COD BRUSH BREAKERS |
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HISTORY - IN REVIEW |
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THE STORY ~ |
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Cape Cod Forest Fires |
PAGE CONTENTS |
M - Map 01 - The Cape Cod Forest Fire Problem 02 - The State Takes Action in 1923 03 - Forest Fires Are Not A New Problem 04 - Cape Cod Forest Fire Jumped Route 6 - May 1965 05 - Plymouth County Forest Fires 06 - Some More Recent Forest Fires 07 - The Fire Danger - Firefighter Memorial 08 - Fire Prevention - Only You! 09 - Public Education - Smokey Bear 10 - Spotting Fires - Fire Towers 11 - Spotting Fires - Fire Patrol Planes 12 - Locating Fires - Fire Patrol Trucks 13 - Early Firefighting - By Hand 14 - Early Fire Apparatus 15 - First Brush Breakers 16 - Barnstable County Brush Breakers 17 - State Forest Fire Trucks 18 - On The Islands - Brush Trucks 19 - Plymouth County - Brush Trucks 20 - Brush Breakers Working 21 - The Hey Day of Brush Breakers 22 - Tankers and Other Support Apparatus 23 - Forest Fire Training 24 - Small, Medium, and Large Brush Trucks 25 - The Newest Brush Trucks 26 - The END TIMES |
MAP |
CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
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Cape Cod, The Islands, and much of Southeastern Massachusetts have a long history of wildland brush, grass, and forest fires dating back to the 1700s. |
1 - THE CAPE
COD FOREST FIRE PROBLEM
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FIRE CONDITIONS |
Once ground fires create enough heat and reach the thick tree tops, the forest fire is "crowning" and can move rapidly from tree to tree. Hot burning embers are often carried ahead of the fire by strong winds setting new spot fires that develop into larger fires themselves as the fire spreads and consumes all that is in front of it.
Fires threaten overhead power lines
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2 - STATE
TAKES ACTION IN 1923 |
1923 STATE TAKES ACTION |
When finally over, an area of approximately 25,000 acres, between Pocasset village, Sagamore, Sandwich, East Sandwich, and South Sandwich had been left blackened.
STATE CONSERVATION TAKES NOTICE
SHAWME STATE FOREST CREATED IN 1923
NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAM 1928 This statement in "Fire in America" by Stephen J. Pyne c.1982, demonstrates how serious the forest fire situation on the Cape was at that time. The Smokey the Bear program grew out of those early fire prevention efforts.
The use of aircraft to locate and observe forest fires goes way back. Here a bi-plane can bee seen flying in the area of a large forest fire.
A great effort to combat these types of fires began in the 1920s and
1930s as vehicles and techniques improved. |
3 - NOT A
NEW PROBLEM |
Large Forest Fires are not a new problem. |
THE DARK DAY OF 1780 In 1780, an early morning lightning storm started a fire in the woods. Clouds of dark smoke filled the sky to the west of Sandwich in what was called "The Dark Day." FIRE THE WOODS Early Americans learned from the natives and continued the practice keeping large areas of forest lands clear of thick under brush that fuels fires. FIRES HAPPEN
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4 - CAPE COD
FOREST FIRE JUMPED ROUTE 6 - MAY 1965 |
1965 Fire jumped Route 6 in Sandwich |
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5 - PLYMOUTH
COUNTY FOREST FIRES
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Map showing some of the historic Plymouth County Forest Fires. |
There is a map inside the Myles Standish State Forest District 2 Headquarters showing some of the many significant fires that have struck Plymouth County over the years. |
6 - SOME
MORE RECENT FOREST FIRES |
The PAVE PAWS Forest Fire burned in the 1988. |
A large fire known as the PAVE PAWS Fire occurred on April 22, 1988. It burned about 1600 acres around the radar site. Photo taken from Fire Patrol Plane P18. |
7 - THE FIRE
DANGER - FIREFIGHTER MEMORIAL |
Firefighter Memorial Route 130 in Sandwich |
A forest fire on April 27, 1938 burned out of the Camp Edwards National Guard Camp, eventually covering a 5 mile wide by 12 mile long area toward Sandwich into what would be the Shawme Crowell State Forest. Three of the firemen who battled the blaze were trapped, burned, and killed by the fire. The memorial remembers Thomas Adams, Ervin Draber, and Gordon King who were lost that day. |
8 - FIRE
PREVENTION - ONLY YOU! |
The prevention of forest fires became a major effort. |
"Only you can prevent forest fires." |
9 - PUBLIC
EDUCATION - SMOKEY BEAR |
Smokey Bear |
Public education and fire prevention go hand in hand. |
10 -
SPOTTING FIRES - FIRE TOWERS
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Fire towers, like this one in Barnstable in 1919, were staffed by
spotters who |
Fire towers became a vital part of combating forest fires. The earlier the fire could be detected and reported, the sooner it could be contained. |
11 -
SPOTTING FIRES - FIRE PATROL PLANES
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Barnstable County Fire Patrol Plane P-18 |
Barnstable County and Plymouth County both operated Fire Patrol Planes for many years. Going back to at least 1954, and perhaps before, these planes could provide assistance in locating fires and advising chiefs and personnel on the ground how to safely access them. |
12 -
LOCATING FIRES - FIRE PATROL TRUCKS |
Fire Patrol Trucks were also a vital aspect of battling wild fires. |
Before many fire departments were staffed, there were staffed Fire Patrol trucks that would be in contact via radio with fire towers and the fire patrol plane and often reached fires first. Shown here around 1958 at the Marstons Mills Airport are the Town of Barnstable Patrol truck 210 and the State Patrol Truck Car 3, as well as some chiefs. |
13 - EARLY
FIREFIGHTING - BY HAND |
In the beginning, fires were fought by hand |
Many of the largest fires were fought before there were many motorvehicles |
14 - EARLY
FIRE APPARATUS |
Photo |
Info |
15 - FIRST
BRUSH BREAKERS |
Photo |
Info |
16 -
BARNSTABLE COUNTY BRUSH BREAKERS
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Photo |
Info |
17 - STATE -
FOREST FIRE TRUCKS |
Photo |
Info |
18 - ON THE
ISLANDS - BRUSH TRUCKS |
Photo |
Info |
19 -
PLYMOUTH COUNTY - BRUSH BREAKERS |
Photo |
Info |
20 - BRUSH
BREAKERS WORKING |
Photo |
Info |
21 - THE HEY
DAYS OF CAPE COD BRUSH BREAKERS |
Photo |
Info |
22 - TANKERS
AND OTHER SUPPORT UNITS |
Photo |
Info |
23 - FOREST
FIRE TRAINING |
Photo |
Info |
24 - SMALL,
MEDIUM, AND LARGE BRUSH TRUCKS |
Photo |
Info |
25 - SOME OF
THE NEWEST BRUSH BREAKERS |
Photo |
Info |
26 - THE END
TIMES |
Photo |
Info |
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CAPE COD BRUSH BREAKERS
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THE STORY OF ~
~ CAPE COD BRUSH BREAKERS ~
PAGE 1
Special Feature
Cape Cod Brush Breakers
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