The Pulaski tool combines a full-size chopping axe with an adze hoe (mattock). It was designed to fight forest fires by clearing potential fuel, moving earth, and breaking apart debris to prevent re-ignition. It was invented by the celebrated US Forest Ranger Ed Pulaski after “The Big Burn” in 1910.
Speed is often the biggest factor in fighting a forest fire, as it can spread further every minute. But forest fires often start in hard-to-reach areas only accessible by foot – through the forest. This is what led to the invention of the Pulaski.
By combining an axe with a mattock into a single tool, a ranger or firefighter can carry less weight, move quicker, and transition between tools with the flick of a wrist. Capable of felling trees, chopping through branches and logs, digging through tough earth, and cutting through roots. It only took a matter of a few years until the Pulaski was a standard tool of the Forest Service.
Today it is still an essential tool for fighting wildfires, as well as a favorite tool for outdoor work by farmers, landscapers, road crews, and more.
Check out the Encyclopedia of Axe Types for information on over 120 different kinds of axe.
The Design of the Pulaski Axe
Variations of the mattock and hoe had already been designed with different chopping blades, but they were smaller blades on more cumbersome tools, really focused on root and groundwork.
The Pulaski has a 3.5-5lb head with a double-bit axe eye.The axe portion resembles a full-size and properly profiled Dayton pattern, with about a 4.5″ wide bit capable of felling trees and chopping through logs or branches.
The adze hoe or mattock on the back can be used to move earth and dig trenches. It has a strong, flat cutting edge to break through ground debris and cut through roots. The hoe is typically just under 4″ wide but can vary between 3-6 inches depending on the make.
There are variations with even larger grub hoes – sometimes called “Super Pulaskis” (more below).
Pulaskis typically use a standard straight 36″ double-bit axe handle. But some can be found with 40″ handles to provide more reach for fire-break/groundwork.
USFS Specifications
As the US Forest Service broadly adopted the Pulaski as a key tool, specifications were established for companies to meet to be considered for purchase. USFS specs ensure the steel is high quality, the hang is straight and straight and strong, and the shape is consistent.
The official specifications put out by the US Department of Agriculture can be found here.
Pulaskis used by the forest service over the years can often be found stamped USFS or FS.
The Super Pulaski
A Super Pulaski has an enlarged mattock to be more effective at digging and clearing low-level vegetation. This makes them better suited for defensive tasks like making firebreaks or in fewer trees and less deadwood. Some manufacturers even reduce the size of the chopping bit.
3 Ways Pulaskis Fight Fires
1. Smokechasers and First Responders
The first role of the Pulaski was to be carried by Smokechasers and first responders as a tool used to fight small fires before they get out of control. It can quickly clear immediate fuel and dig up the earth to slow or extinguish ground fires.
A “Smokechaser” originally was a Forest Ranger who looked for smoke on the horizon to catch small fires before they had a chance to grow. Once smoke was spotted, they would report it and quickly move out to try and contain the fire on their own.
Fires were often well off the path, so a Smokechaser could only bring what he could carry into the forest on foot or by horseback. By the 1920s the Pulaski was already a key part of the Forest Service’s “Smokechaser” kit and often paired with a shovel.
The term Smokechaser is still often used today to describe the first responders to wildfires.
2. Firebreaks and Stopping Fire Spreading
When a fire has started, it’s critical to stop the spread while you try and put it out. This can be for a single burning tree or around an entire section of forest.
Firebreaks or “Fire-lines” are defensive lines created to stop an active fire from spreading by removing all the potential fuel (dead trees, logs, and brush), and digging up the earth in front of an advancing fire. The cleared line must be wide enough to prevent sparks from blowing across.Depending on the scenario this could be a simple 5-10ft break, or as wide as 100ft across.
The Pulaski’s ability to both chop and dig makes it perfect for this role. The axe side can chop apart heavy logs, branches, and trees to be cleared out of the way. While the hoe can dig up the earth, leaving little to burn at ground level and preventing spread if any small bits of remaining vegetation do catch.
They can also be used for felling trees within the burn zone to stop the flames from climbing and spreading through the canopy – limiting the range sparks can be carried in the wind.
3. Prevent Re-ignition
Once the fire has been contained any smoldering logs, trees, stumps, and debris in the firezone need to be broken apart to reveal and extinguish internal embers. A smoldering stump can continue to burn internally for days, reigniting a fire at any moment if not properly dismantled.
The chopping axe is used to break apart the debris, and the hoe can drag dirt in to cover the embers. Embers can often go down underground into the roots and need to be thoroughly put out.
Other uses for the Pulaski
While it was invented to fight fires, the Pulaski quickly gained popularity with all sorts of people who work outdoors. The versatility of having a combined axe and mattock can be just as useful for property and landscaping work, farm work, and construction or road crews.
They are especially useful for removing small trees and bushes, being able to remove both the trunk and the roots. As a result, they are still widely available in most hardware stores today.
A Hero during “The Big Burn”
US Forest Ranger Ed Pulaski became a hero during “The Big Burn” in 1910 after his quick thinking saved the lives of 35 men. 87 other people lost their lives in the blaze, and in the aftermath, Pulaski set out to invent a better tool to fight fires and save more lives.
In the summer of 1910, the western US was in a severe drought, which led to an extreme wildfire season. At the peak, a firestorm burned more than three million acres and killed at least 78 firefighters in just 36 hours.
Ed Pulaski and his team of forty men were working to control a large forest fire in Coeur d’Alene National Forest in northern Idaho. They had made progress, but the wind suddenly picked up, and the situation became dire. The firefighters were deep in the forest miles from any roads or clearings and their lives were immediately at risk.
Pulaski remembered an abandoned mine shaft nearby and quickly led his team there. He instructed them to grab their blankets as they ran through their camp. Once they reached the mine shaft, Pulaski positioned himself at the entrance and used blankets to block the fire and heat from entering. He repeatedly replaced the blankets as they caught fire, eventually using his bare hands to them up.
After twenty minutes, the worst of the fire had passed. While five of the men died from suffocation, the remaining 35 survived thanks to Pulaski’s quick thinking and bravery. Pulaski himself was blinded and had serious burns on his face and arms. It took him three months to regain some of his sight.
Pulaski was motivated to help improve the capability of the response teams and save future lives. Within about a year of the fire Pulaski had developed his tool, and it was quickly adopted by the forest service and in mass production by major manufacturers.
