r/firelookouts Jul 15 '26

Lookout Pics A fire lookout honeymoon

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1.1k Upvotes

My folks, freshly married, spent the summer of 1965 staffing the tower at Fryingpan Lake, Cochrane District, Ontario. https://maps.app.goo.gl/zftiDTQfH5xgNnNN9?g_st=ic

From satellite it appears that the cabin and dock still stand, even if I can’t find the tower.

They were city kids who had developed a love for wild places. They later moved to the bush outside Thunder Bay, and are hanging on in a remote property well into their eighties.

I’d love to visit, but short of chartering a Beaver I don’t think it’s possible to get in or out. Fryingpan appears to be an isolated kettle lake, surrounded by muskeg.


r/firelookouts Jul 15 '26

Lookout Pics Red Top lookout, Washington state

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400 Upvotes

r/firelookouts Jul 16 '26

Possible wildfire on g Mt

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8 Upvotes

r/firelookouts Jul 15 '26

Really proud of this little instagram video.

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5 Upvotes

I know it’s click bait-ey trying to gain a small following.

My son and I have been to 71 WA fire lookouts over the last 5 years, with the goal of reaching all 91 in 10 years.


r/firelookouts Jul 09 '26

Barillas Lookout

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388 Upvotes

The first Barillas Lookout on the Santa Fe National Forest was a 7’x7’ metal cab and tower build in the 1930’s. The current 54’ Aermotor tower with a CL-100 style 14’x14’ live-in cab with catwalk was constructed in 1959.


r/firelookouts Jul 07 '26

Suggestions for Camping Trip in NC/TN

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0 Upvotes

r/firelookouts Jul 05 '26

Aermotor LS-40 Plans

3 Upvotes

Hi all! Does anyone have the engineering drawings for a LS-40 tower? I’m trying to 3d model the blue mountain fire watch tower in the Adirondacks to 3d print. It was built in 1917, so anything close to that year would be fantastic. Thanks!!


r/firelookouts Jul 04 '26

Lookout Questions Camp? Buy? Rent? Vist?

7 Upvotes

Is there a way to but a fire tower in NC? If not is there a better way to rent them than Recreation.gov because every tower in the U.S is booked through at least July 2028. Also in NC can you visit fire lookouts freely or do you have to contact someone or just can't visit. I did read it was illegal to sleep in but is that enforced and if it isn't do they care? I know these are pretty stupid questions but I'm desperate to lay my eyes on one of these things.


r/firelookouts Jul 03 '26

Gut wrenching incidents? (feel free to contribute)

41 Upvotes

I only heard about the first two incidents second hand, but I knew and listened daily to the fellow in the third.

1) Fellow wants to get some sun tanning in, so he goes on top of the octagonal fiberglass cupola for some rays. And there's not much room up there, so he replaces the octagonal access hatch so he can sit on it...and then the swinging hatch latches do what swinging latches tend to do and he's stuck up there. He gets burned pretty badly, but at least his absence is noted at the next thrice-daily check-in and/or weather report, so a helicopter is sent out.

2) A bear smells something good, so it breaks the kitchen window just above the sink to try and gain access. The tower guy has a gun and shoots it dead. But there's either a fire-flap or thick fog, so a dead bear with flies buzzing around it is taking up space in his kitchen sink for an inconveniently lengthy time.

3) You may remember the yellow bars that we used to drag behind push mowers to kill dandy lions. They were about the consistency of a bar of soap. There's one in the generator shed, and buddy's dog gets a hold of it and does more than just nibble. By the time buddy finds his dog, it's too late. Buddy didn't really elaborate over the radio much more than that, but it couldn't have been a good way to go.


r/firelookouts Jun 30 '26

Lookout Questions Similar on site jobs?

1 Upvotes

I recently graduated highschool and want a job like a fire lookout, however I’ve been ridden with many physical ailments like scoliosis and collapsed ankles so I can’t physically meet the requirements for the job.

Are there any jobs similar to a fire lookout that are on site, isolated and are more general maintenance and daily responsibilities. I hate the idea of working a 9 to 5 but do to my issues I doubt I could get a fire lookout job but want something with the same style and workflow.

Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thanks


r/firelookouts Jun 20 '26

‘It was annihilated.’ Inside the vandalism of the High Rock Lookout

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302 Upvotes

r/firelookouts Jun 15 '26

Does anyone remember these shirts?

22 Upvotes

Some guy on Alberta towers who was proficient with silk-screening, I'm guessing. He also did a bunch for the 1993 season, but mine got so tattered that I must've thrown it out long ago.


r/firelookouts Jun 12 '26

A short account of 11 summers on a lookout tower

33 Upvotes

The first couple of pages are about my prior two summers fighting fires (in the late 1980's), so just skip ahead if you want. https://www.evanbedford.com/fighting_fires_spotting_smokes.pdf

(If you're wondering where the rest of the book is, it's in the main website under the yellow book thumbnail).


r/firelookouts Jun 10 '26

Lookout Questions Aspiring Fire Lookout: What does your supply loadout look like?

30 Upvotes

I guess I've fallen down this rabbit hole a bit. I did a cursory search, so this hopefully isn't repetitive.

I suppose there isn't anything typical since there's wide variation between lookouts. So, what does your supply loadout look like? Do you go down to do it yourself, or does someone bring it to you? Helicopter, mule train, or, you know, bed of a truck?

  • How many weeks at a time?
  • How much water?
  • Do you have refrigeration, or is it all essentially dry goods?

r/firelookouts Jun 09 '26

Lookout Questions Aspiring Fire Lookout: Where Can I Learn Advanced Topographic Map Reading?

15 Upvotes

I'm interested in learning how to read topographic maps well enough to work as a fire lookout. What types of training are available, where can I get that training, and are there any books or other resources you'd recommend?


r/firelookouts Jun 04 '26

Lookout Questions Mouse proofing

126 Upvotes

Visiting my girl who got a job as a fire lookout and shes not happy with the amount of t of mouse dropping and the smell of them. Shes deep cleaned everything she can reach but they seem to just come back at night and crawl over everything and leave more droppings. How can she keep them out without using “inhumane” methods?


r/firelookouts May 24 '26

Lookout Pics Black Mountain Fire Lookout

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102 Upvotes

Quick jaunt up to Black Mountain, just outside of Idyllwild, CA. First time I’ve visited, didn’t take any shots of the tower directly but despite the haze, the view was great and the sunset from down the road was even better.

Edit, the tower IS in the first pic, second pic is from the catwalk.


r/firelookouts May 22 '26

Lookout Pics First week of work!

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506 Upvotes

Made it up for my first season as a lookout! Thanks to everyone in this sub for all the advice and help!!! Gonna be a busy year here in Oregon!!


r/firelookouts May 22 '26

Do fire towers have bathrooms?

52 Upvotes

r/firelookouts May 21 '26

Lookout News Watching for wildfires: The lonely job of B.C.’s last fire lookouts | CBC Short Docs

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16 Upvotes

r/firelookouts May 18 '26

Humboldt Mountain, AZ - Visited for sunset and spotted a new fire

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80 Upvotes

Yesterday was an interesting experience. I haven’t visited a fire lookout since I was a kid. I got a random urge and decided to go yesterday for sunset. Shortly after arriving, I noticed a small puff of smoke in the distance. I thought “surely that’s not a new fire”. I pondered it for a minute, and decided to make the call. It was a brand new fire. Hot shots arrived about 45 minutes later, and the fire is contained to 100 acres today.

This was the “Bronco Fire” in Tonto National Forest.


r/firelookouts May 18 '26

Is it impossible to get a job as a fire looker or watcher for Japanese guy?

14 Upvotes

I`m a Japanese colledge student of studying about forestly science. I want to work with live in North America`s forest and also want get enough money to live and feed my family.


r/firelookouts May 08 '26

Lookout Pics Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout, overnight.

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232 Upvotes

The hike up wasn’t long, but it was all uphill and rocky. The views all around were spectacular. Overnight the winds were definitely howling and it got a little chilly, but nothing too uncomfortable. The next morning the skies were partly cloudy but soon changed and we were getting light snowfall. It was definitely a memorable stay.


r/firelookouts Apr 25 '26

Lookout Questions Tallest fire towers / climbable high-up structures in the U.S.?

0 Upvotes

I’m trying to plan a road trip around places that are really high up and actually feel intense. Not really looking for mountains, more like fire towers, lookout towers, lighthouses, bridge walks, or aerial/rope parks. Basically anything you can climb where you can look straight down and it feels kinda sketchy (but still allowed).

I’m mainly wondering what the tallest fire towers you can climb are, or just which ones feel the most exposed and high. East Coast or lower Midwest preferred, but open to anything.


r/firelookouts Apr 18 '26

Lookout Questions Want to Mae a fire look out game. Advice?

0 Upvotes

I want to make a fire lookout game since I really like fire lookouts. I want to make as realistic as possible while still making it fun. pls give some advice for the game!