Misconceptions of the modern Fire Lookout

  So much information available today about Fire Lookouts and Fire Lookout jobs is just plain wrong! I hear so many ideas and misconceptions about what what we are and what we do, that I would like to discuss a few here today.
   While much has changed in the fire world, much has stayed the same. Aircraft has not replaced Fire Lookout jobs. Yes in some areas, Lookouts are not staffed anymore. Usually in those areas, a plane will only go up when there is existing fires or after lightning has come through. Even then, recon is contingent on budget. Planes are expensive. Here on the Deschutes Forest, we have 7 Lookouts staffed during the height of fire season. Early detection keeps small fires from becoming big resource eating monsters! 

   Some days, we will see over 1500 visitors. People from all over the world. Most believe that the job of being a Fire Lookout is a thing of the past. They believe that we've been replaced by camera and infrared technology. Its apparent to me that the younger generations believe that technology can do everything a human can do, only do it better. They look at Lookouts as old and obsolete. That's where I step in and try to instill a sense of pride, and show them how cool it is that we still do things the same as they were done 50 years ago. Some of us use new technology, but things are much the same as before.

  Many people see our job as fantasy, just laying around on our butts not really doing anything, and getting paid for it! The truth is that there may well be a lot of "down" time, where a lookout person is just looking out the window, but what do you do when a mobile home park has a black column and you see crowning in the trees? In the urban interface environment we don't have time, we have to report these fires in a matter of seconds. And if we make a mistake it could be a huge catastrophe, and then,..........we won't have a job the next day either. Very high stress, always on edge. During lightning storms we spend our whole day staring at clouds, sky,
and forest which can and frequently does lead to eye strain, headaches, and an overall feeling of exhaustion. We must listen to all the rural fire dept. radio traffic all day, to hear about any structure fires that may spread into wild land. This is a full dose of constant 911 medical calls as well as fire and rescue traffic. Add 16 Forest Service radio channels, and its non stop chatter all day long! And we have to pay attention, close attention! And then there is the time off issue. Could you dedicate yourself all summer in a remote location with no power, running water, and in some cases no cell service? Would you be able to work all summer with no time off for say weddings, birthdays, funerals, or family events? Would you commit to this for a salary just above minimum wage? Could you live this way? Most cannot. But most people assume it is the dream job that they will get when they retire or are injured. I'm glad Shannon and I didn't wait, we've been in Lookout Towers since 1997 after a near death experience in a blizzard. We've seen the best and worst of the job, and we still love it! Hope you enjoyed the blog post. Please subscribe as I'll be posting on many interesting topics in the future. Cheers, Joey River.
 
 http://www.firelookout.org/



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_lookout