Russell, Massachusetts, USA
1930 - FIRES SWEEP 2000 ACRES NEAR RUSSELL

High Wind Whips Flames, Blamed on Sparks From Locomotive, a as More Than 750 Men and Boys Battle for Hours to Check Blazes--Farmers Driven From Homes - Montgomery Town Threatened.

By a Staff Reporter
Russell, May 4 - Fanned by a high wind, fires which broke out in a half-dozen places along the Boston & Albany railroad tracks northeast of here this morning spread over the hills and ridges and tonight had burned over more than 2000 acres of young growth timber. The fire was still out of control late tonight despite the efforts of more than 750 men and boys, assisted by firemen and apparatus from Russell, Huntington and Westfield, and was gradually spreading across Mt. Shadrack and over the rugged hill section toward the town of Montgomery.

Residents Driven Out

Residents of a half-dozen farmhouses and summer homes were driven from the vicinity by the dense smoke as the flames moved steadily through the surrounding woods and undergrowth. Although the houses near the boundary line between Russell and Huntington, where the flames originated, were said to be in no immediate danger because of cleared spaces, other farm homes farther east near Montgomery Center were in the direct path of the fire as it progressed along with the wind, and there was increasing possibility that several might be destroyed.

Fire Momentarily Checked

Telephone service to the town of Montgomery was partly disrupted early path of the fire were cut off. At one time during the early afternoon the firemen and volunteer workers succeeded in checking the flames temporarily, but within a few minutes sparks were fanned into flame again by the sharp gusts of wind and soon the fire again was cutting deep swaths through the timber at a number of points. The territory burned over was for the most part covered with scrub brush although there were some stretches of fine young growth of birch, maple and oak trees.

The fires, said to have been started by sparks from a Boston & Albany freight train, broke out along the east bank of the Westfield river at points several hundred yards apart over a stretch of about a mile near the town line between Russell and Huntington soon after the train had passed during the middle of the forenoon. With the flames driven before the wind and moving rapidly up the sides of the hills and ridges, George H. Harris, town fire warden of Russell, sent out a call for help and in a short time two forest fire trucks from Westfield were on the scene to assist firemen and volunteer workers from Huntington, Montgomery and Russell.

Hoses Laid to River

Albert R. Ordwny of Westfield, district forest warden, was also summoned and aided in reciting the efforts to check the blaze. Several thousand feet of hose were laid in a number of lines and streams of water pumped from the river and near-by brooks were played along the outer fringes of the fires, but, because of the rugged territory and the high wind, great difficulty was experienced in doing effective work.

The firefighters succeeded at times in stopping the progress of the blaze, only to have it break out again at other points. Many of the men continued the fight throughout the day without stopping to rest or to eat, but at dusk a temporary halt was called to enable the men to rest and to have a light lunch of sandwiches and coffee sent by Russell town authorities. Tired and smoke-begrimed, they resumed their efforts soon after dusk, prepared to continue throughout the night in an effort to save several houses which were thought to be endangered by the eastward sweep of the flames.

Boy Scouts Help

In addition to firemen from the Westfield and from towns in the vicinity, about 75 men from Boston & Albany section crews were at the scene and took an active part in fighting the fire. Boy Scouts from Russell and Huntington were also pressed into service, particularly in keeping roads in the vicinity clear of traffic, although a dozen or more of the boys joined actively in clearing hose lines and in handling forest fire-fighting equipment.

While there a half-dozen or more fires during the day scattered along the hill country north of Russell, the one which caused most concern was first observed near the Chapin-Gould paper mill near the Huntington line. This blaze cut a wide swath over the hills to the east and spread to Montgomery township, endangering a number of houses. The summer home of A. E. Booth was surrounded by the fire and the Booth family, spending the week end in the hills, was driven from the house by the smoke. Farmhouses that for a time were threatened included those of Mrs. Mary Forriter, R. B. Chamberlain, Mrs. F. H. Helms, the Clifford Williston dairy farm, and the house of Dana Dewey of Dewey hill. Occupants of most of these homes and others in the vicinity, were driven out by the dense clouds of smoke.

Another Fire Threatens

Farther along the Westfield river near the Crescent paper mill, another fire broke out and gradually burned through to a junction with the first blaze. At one time this fire moved to within 75 feet of the Vance farm and also placed the Revard place in danger.

About 6 tonight the fire broke out in six new places, the wrost{sic} point being at the foot of the ridge a mile southeast of Huntington. While at 5:30 the fire was burning on a front of only about one-quarter of a mile, and hour later it has spread to a five-mile front. Additional men were rushed to the scene, including 250 from Huntington and 50 more employes of the Boston & Albany railroad until at a late hour tonight, there were more than 750 men engaged in the fight.
The fire was extending steadily toward Montgomery and was approaching the high tension power lines leading into that town. All telephone lines leading into Montgomery were put out of commission about 7:30 when the fire brought down the poles and wires.

Officials directing the work of the firemen and volunteers included Ira A. Whittaker, deputy sheriff; Harry Donman, chief of the Russell fire department; Andrew Hall, deputy fire warden of Montgomery; George H. Harris, deputy fire warden of Russell; E. D. Parks, chairman of the Russell board of selectmen; Constable A. L. Stines of Russell, and Ralph E. Belding, water commissioner at Russell. District Fire Warden Ordway sent out another call for help tonight and every available man in the towns nearby were rushed to the scene.

Motorist Watch Fire

From early afternoon when leaden clouds of smoke began to pour over the mountains northeast of Russell, hundreds of motorists stopped along the state highway from Westfield to watch the progress of the fire, and until late tonight the roadway was jammed with cars on both sides. From the highway, the fire and billowing smoke pouring over Mt. Shadrack resembled a miniature volcano as the flames flared up over the crest of the ridge, but from a nearer vantage point, the rapidly-moving wave of fire took on the appearance of a blazing snake as it weaved back and forth.

As the fire spread over an ever-widening front tonight, there was increasing apprehension that a number of houses at Montgomery would be destroyed. This fear was made no less real by the fact that means of combating the fire there were none too plentiful. Shortly after 6 tonight, Warden Ordway had three pumps sent up to the crest of the ridge in an effort to deflect the fire from its progress towards the town. In a number of instances, the woods in the path of the fire approach within a short distance of the houses.

Crews of men sent out by Boston & Albany officials were in charge of Martin J. Drumm and Thomas Velrose, section foremen of Westfield and Russell, respectively. Section hands from as far away as Chester were rushed in trucks to help in fighting the fire.

At one time during the late afternoon it appeared that the fighters had practically succeeded in checking the blaze, but this success proved short-lived when one of the pumps broke down. Under this handicap many of the men had to stand by while the fire gained new impetus, although heroic efforts were made by other who, armed with shovels and hand implements, sought to beat out the blaze in the underbrush. Although none of the men was overcome, frequently they were forced back by the heat from the blazing trees and smoke from the dry undergrowth.

The Springfield Republican
Springfield, Massachusetts
May 5, 1930

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