Lookout tower (fire service) restoration

[Burnham]

Tis, indeed.

I think I might have a few pics from some of my lookout tower work...I'll see if I can find any worth posting.

 

[gf beranek]

The manned lookouts here, all that I've hiked to, the forest service personnel have always been pleasantly open to visitors, and also have a register for visitors to sign.

One told Terri and I of a harrowing lightening storm when the hair on his body was standing up. The towers are heavily grounded so I suppose he was alright.

 

[pantheraba]

There were 2 heavy duty grounds on the tower we are working on...No evidence of any strikes and the owner hasn't been aware of any for the several years he has been there. He wants us to remove the 12 -15 pines that are surrounding the tower...we'll top and drop them before too long...gonna make a BIG mess. He plans to rent a chipper and we'll haul the logs to a sawmill about 2 miles away.

 

[No_Bivy]

Can I have the forest sign....do you think he is willing to sell it?

 

[pantheraba]

I can ask him but I doubt it...that's an historical touch that sets the tone as you start up the stairs.

 

[squisher]

No doubt. I wouldn't sell it. Sorry John.

 

[flushcut]

Cool!

 

[Burnham]

Every firetower I have been in, every single one, has as part of it's normal furniture a tall wooden stool or two with old glass telephone wire insulators set upside down on the bottoms of all four legs. When the lightning gets to popping nearby, the lookout always weathers the storm perched on the stool, feet up on the rungs. I've been told more than once of a lookout getting up from his or her bunk in the wee small hours of the night to sleepily mount the stool.

No matter how well grounded a tower might be, complete isolation from conductivity always seemed like a good idea to me...or at least a comforting notion .

 

[FireFighterZero]

I would love to ride out a storm in a fire tower. Best view in the country!

 

[Burnham]

I've done it just once, and not a bad one either...but it took my breath away.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'd love it!!!

I'd also put the legs of my bunk on those insulators... frig getting up!

 

[Burnham]

I have seen that too, but not near as often...only once or twice that I recall. Maybe because many firetower bunks are built in, so it doesn't do any good. Some are steel framed too, or have steel spring sets...all counter productive in conductivity isolation terms .

 

[Mrs.B]

The last lookout we visited was atop Mt Harkness in Lassen Park. As Burnham said, the wooden stool with the insulators was present. The guy had lots of stories of lightening storms, he was quite a talker! He must of been starved for company cause he never stopped talking the whole time we were there. We've visited many towers and it always begins with a hike up a hill. The personnel manning the towers are always very receptive and eager to share their time. Quite interesting thing to do.

 

[Cobleskill]

There was a fire tower in Eastern NY where I went to school. It was no longer being used but a great place to visit. There was an old stone fireplace/grill that was falling apart. Us kids made it a project to rebuild it. I heard it was for sale and is probably no longer standing.

I also remember one in SW New York when I was a kid that was not being used.

We have a water tower in town that is not used anymore. My bud's dream was to put an elevator in it, make a few floors and cut some windows in to live in. Great idea. Probably have a tough time with building codes. Our gov. trying to save us from ourselves.

 

[woodworkingboy]

So if you are a fire watch, you have to make your tower open to the public at any time, is that the deal? I see plusses and minuses. Having lived alone in the woods, i know that there are times when you are wanting someone to show up, or just about anybody.

 

[gf beranek]

I think its just SOP with the FS, Jay. They're always open.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Ok, thanks Jerry.

 

[Burnham]

Yup...those sites belong to the public, and are open to them. After nightfall, there is some discretion allowed to the fire watchman (lots have been staffed by women, both historically and in current times, btw). It is their home, after all.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Any particular rules about having a firearm, potentially dangerous animals and such?

 

[Burnham]

No firearms, but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts not many searches for such have ever been done, unless the watchman was flaunting it unwisely.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Some of the towers must be in good hunting country.

 

[Burnham]

Most, out west anyway. But that does take firearm use into another level of risk. Legal big game seasons usually don't match up with fire tower ops seasons .

 

[pantheraba]

We are finally set up to re-roof the tower this Saturday...weather and schedules have been a real pain this winter...lots of rain here at the wrong times.

Ideally I'll get some good picts and video of the job.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Sweet.

 

[pantheraba]

DONE!!!! Finally got the tower re-roofed. Alex (my son), Kirby (FF and tower owner) and I spent a long day last Saturday and put a new roof on Kirby's firetower. Could not start until early afternoon due to boy's ball games in the AM and Spring Fling at their school. Here are some teaser picts...still have video and stills from my GoPRo knockoff that need to be downloaded.

Alex was the primary engineer and "doer" for the job...he devised the ladder/scaffold with big J hooks, straps, etc...measured and cut the metal to fit...installed the metal with his power tools, etc. Kirby and I were mules and go-fers...we all did LOTS of circuits up and down stairs. I set up a rappel and made quite a few raps to get down quickly and then hump gear back up. Kirby has a pulley system set up on a continuous loop so anything that fit into buckets we pullied up. But all the metal roofing was hand carried and then manipulated through the trap door, out windows and up to Alex. The tower overlooks the Rockmart airport...we watched skydivers all day make umpteen jumps while we worked.