Forest fire control

The south-west of Western Australia is the main forest area of the state and extensive fire control methods are established there. Look-out towers, often built on a tall Karri tree, are connected by telephone with Central Control. During the summer these are manned 24 hours a day. When a fire is sighted, its exact locality is plotted and Central Control immediately despatches fire-fighting equipment to the spot. Water from a storage tank and from individual spray packs is most effective in the early stages. As soon as some control has been reached special rakes are used to rake back the ashes and undergrowth. The area is patrolled until it is declared safe. The film makes the point that it is harder to extinguish fires then to prevent them.