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FOR FIGHTING FOREST FIRES.

24th August 1926, Page 44
24th August 1926
Page 44
Page 44, 24th August 1926 — FOR FIGHTING FOREST FIRES.
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A Handy Fire-fighting Appliance which is Arranged for Mounting on a Motor-vehicle Chassis.

THE motor vehicle fitted with a small, high-pressure fire-fighting unit is playing an important part in the combating of forest, field and property fires in the United States. The type of fire pump which is used is the product of the Evinrude Motor Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, manufacturers of the wellknown Evinrude outboard motor employed for the propulsion of small boats, and pumps of this description have been doing some thoroughly effective work. They are especially useful in combating forest, grain field and property fires in rural areas where the fire-protection facilities are often most inadequate. The motorcar fits into this method of fire protection by supplying the transportation unit for getting the pumping outfit to the scene of the conflagrations.

The pumping unit weighs only 105 lb. It can be carried on almost any type of motor. vehicle. For example, in the accompanying illustrations it is shown mounted on the front bumper of a Ford coupe. In spite of the small size and weight of the pumping unit, the 4 h.p. two-stroke petrol motor drives the centrifugal pump at a speed of 2,400 r.p.m. This speed gives the pump a capacity of 42 gallons of water per minute through a 2-in. hose. The jet of water from the nozzle can be thrown approximately 80 ft., and is, of course, most effective for putting out any kind of fire other than one which may have gained uncontrollable headway.

Any desired le,2gth of hose may be used without materially decreasing the effectiveness of the pump or the volume of water that can be delivered. As many as 500 ft. of 2-in, hose can easily be carried in the rear luggage coropart meat of the Ford coupe shown in our pictures. The use of 15 ft. of suction hose makes it possible to drive the vehicle to the bank of a stream or to drop the suction nozzle into a well or irrigation ditch, or almost any other available supply of water. A greater length of suction hose may be used if desired.

In the event of the suction hose being too short to reach a supply of water, it is only necessary to loosen four wing nuts to detach the pumping unit from the vehicle. Two men may then lift it by the handles provided for the pur

pose, and carry it to where the suction hose can be dropped in the water.

The Forestry Service of Canada has more than 200 of these pumps in use for fighting forest fires. They are carried as near the fire as possible on motor vehicles. In regions where water is very scarce, several pumps are worked together, the water being relayed to almost any point desired by pumping it into large canvas sags. For extinguishing fires in grain fields and amongst hay crops where no water is available these pumps are mounted on large tank wagons which are capable of

carrying a very large volume of water in a single load. This supply is sufficient to operate the pump at its full capacity for several hours and, therefore, ample to extinguish almost any fire of this description.

One of the outstanding assets of a motoz vehicle on which pumping plant of this description is mounted is the speed with which it can reach the point of conflagration. In tire case of forest fires, which, once they secure a firm hold, usually prove to be extremely devastating and often involve big losses, It should be possible to cheek their spread by being prepared with an appliance of the type to which we have briefly referred.

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Locations: Milwaukee

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