A PRAIRIE FIRE.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—I send you a few details, supplied by a later letter, of the prairie fire described in the Spectator of May 25th.—! am, "Dick was untouched by the fire, only considerably choked by the smoke, which was very dense. The line of fire varied in width very much, according to the grass it was burning. Owing to the hurricane which was blowing at the time, the flames were very fierce, and though the wind kept them from rising to any height, they stretched for 25 ft. at least in front of the burning grass. The grass on fire would be 5 ft. to 10 ft. in width. Altogether, it was a good-sized furnace to go through. I was on my way to town, and when I crossed the hills just north of us I saw a vast black plain, and thought the fire had gone out. But suddenly the wind got up very strong from the north, and in an instant I saw a line of flame five or six miles long almost in front of me. I drove on to some ground burnt over last fall, and watched the fire go past, and I never saw anything like it before. When it reached the hills, where the grass is 2 ft. long in places, it just rushed along in great leaps and bounds, jumping coulees 50 ft. to 100ft. broad, and leaving them to burn afterwards. In less than five minutes it was out of sight, having travelled three miles and crossed the ridge. I knew that it would be past our place inside five minutes more, and also that Dick was prepared for it. So I drove on to town. When I was coming home I saw 'Belle' and 'Vi' [two mares] out on the range ; I then knew something must have been burnt. So I made double-quick time home. The first thing I saw was the pasture fence completely demolished. And then I saw the roof of the house, and knew that was standing, any- how. I was considerably thankful when I found that only the hay was gone."
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